


Lyrics of a New Song

by sunnyclow



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Some angst, hints to other minor pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26242510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyclow/pseuds/sunnyclow
Summary: After the war Felix and Annette part ways to start their new lives. However, they began to realize that they might be better together than apart.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic & Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Blue Lions Students & Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: Felannie Mini Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I'm really excited to reveal my fic for the Felannie mini bang! I had a lot of fun with this and I had a wonderful artist too! Her name is [Natalie](https://twitter.com/NNelsonArt) and she did a great job! Please show her some love for the wonderful picture she drew! I've been really getting into Felannie lately after watching their supports for a second time that I fell in love with these two! What can I say I'm a sucker for a grumpy cat and the sunny bird that loves him. I can't wait to write for them again!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> You can hit me up on twitter at: [sunnyclow](https://twitter.com/sunny_clow)

Felix stared out the window of the carriage as the familiar landscape of Faerghus started to slowly appear in front of his eyes. There were too many emotions going through him that he didn’t know which one to focus on. He was relieved that he could return home in a carriage with his friends. They managed to bring Dimitri back from the brink of madness, now they were on their way back to the kingdom with the new king and his new wife who happened to be their former professor now archbishop to the church. He was nervous about returning back to his homeland to take over his father’s spot. He wasn’t supposed to take over this way. He was supposed to have his father give him the title in a ceremony, not for him to accept it now that he was gone. 

Felix still had such complicated feelings over his father and his death. It felt like just when they were repairing their relationship he was taken away. He knew the risks, but that didn’t stop his heart from hurting when he thought back to the way his dad met his end. He knew they were the shield of the kingdom, still he already lost Glenn, he wasn’t ready to lose his dad. He wasn’t ready to lose Glenn even though the sting had lessened it was still there. Now he had a new wound that he knew wouldn’t heal any time soon.

He remembered spending that night in his room, crying more than he had in years with a half empty bottle of alcohol to keep him company. Well, that wasn’t the only company he had that night. 

How could he forget the way Annette stayed with him, until he fell asleep. Felix didn’t expect her to visit him when many of their friends were worried about Dimitri, the war, and everything that happened in that battle. He didn’t expect anyone to see him, yet Annette knocked on his door and stayed with him the whole night. He remembered the song she hummed for him that helped him fall asleep. Felix stopped himself from humming it. He wasn’t going to make that mistake with Sylvain, Mercedes, and Ingrid in the carriage. It didn’t stop the tune from going through his mind from time to time. 

Felix offered to take Annette home since they were escorting Ashe back to his home. She declined since her uncle sent his own carriage to take her home. She wanted to check on her mother and work out things with her father. Felix wanted to tell her to come home with him instead he wished her luck and told her goodbye before they parted ways. It was much harder to do than he thought. They spent so much time together during the war that he became used to seeing her in the greenhouse or walking around the monastery. Now he didn’t know when he would see her again and he didn’t like the sound of that. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to hear her voice, look at that smile, and listen to her many soothing songs. 

Felix closed his eyes as it started to snow outside his window. He already had enough going on in his life he didn’t need his heart to bring up feelings he’s been trying to squash since they left. 

“Felix? Are you alright?” Ingrid asked.

“I’m fine.” Felix opened his eyes. “It’s just been a long time since I made the journey back home. I know the council has received news about my father. I’m not in the mood to read anything that they want to shove in my face.” 

Ingrid gave him a small smile. “I’m sure there are many things they’re going to want you to look at.”

“I don’t want to look at them. I want to go to sleep when I get home.” Felix said.

“Tell me about it, I know my father is going to be asking me so many questions. Are you sure you want to meet him so soon?” Sylvain asked Mercedes who nodded. “Yes, I’m sure he knows who I am, it’s better to meet him now then meet him later. He will be my future father in law, after all.”

Sylvain frowned as he reached for her hand. “We don’t have to meet him immediately. We can take some time to settle in first then we can do it.”

Mercedes smiled as she squeezed his hand. “I’ll be fine don’t worry. Felix, will you be alright? Would you like one of us to be with you? I wish Annie was able to join us.”

Felix ignored the pang of sadness that went through him at the mention of her name. When did he become so infatuated? “I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve dealt with them, it won’t be the last. At least now we can give my father a proper burial.”

“Do you know when the church will send over his body?” Ingrid asked.

“Byleth told me she’d let me know.” Felix said. He wasn’t looking forward to that either. Since his father died outside of their territory during war times it would take some time for his body to be returned to their land. It was another complicated matter for Felix. He wanted his father to join the rest of their family in their graveyard, yet to see his father’s body again was something he wasn’t able to handle right now. Maybe when they were able to finally transport him he would be able to handle it since it would be awhile before they could send him. He truly had too much to worry about. 

“Don’t worry, let us know when it happens and we’ll be there for you.” Sylvain said.

Felix nodded. “...Thanks.” He was trying his best to show his gratitude more after the war. It wasn’t easy, though it got a little easier everyday. He turned back to the window, letting his mind wander while the others talked among themselves. Felix wanted to enjoy this moment as long he could. 

*~*~*

“Annette, it’s so wonderful to have you home.” 

Annette smiled as she hugged her mother back. “It’s great to be back. How are you mom? Are you alright?” 

Annette’s mother, Marilyn, gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I was able to stay safe during the war. Once everything settles down we’ll be able to return home. I’m glad your uncle was able to house us for as long as he did, but I’m looking forward to going back to our house.”

“Me too! It’s been too long!” 

“Come on inside, we can have some lunch and you can tell me about your adventures.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Marilyn hummed happily on her way inside the castle with Annette. It warmed Annette’s heart to be with her mother again. She was so relieved to know that she was safe and that her uncle didn’t hold any ill will towards her for the decision she made to fight with the Blue Lions during the war. She would never regret her choice to join them, if she had a chance to change time she would do it again. She loved them all and missed them so much. When the time came closer to go home, part of her didn’t want to do it. Annette wanted to have a little more time with her friends during peacetime, though she knew there were responsibilities that couldn’t wait any longer. At least they were able to spend a week with each other before they had to part ways. 

During that time Annette spent as much time as she could with Felix. Not that she didn’t find time to spend with everyone! She loved everyone in the Blue Lions, they were all so unique and bought their own brand of ideas in everything that they did. It was just with Felix it was hard to find him if he wasn’t at the training grounds. When she did manage to find him they would talk, drink tea, or he would help her in the greenhouse. She didn’t mind what they did as long as they did it together. She got a chance to see a new side to Felix that he tried his best to hide, yet it appeared when they hung out. Annette would never forget the first time Felix laughed. They were talking about the clean up of the monastery when she remembered a joke Alois told her, but she didn’t tell it the same way. It turned out that was enough for Felix who started laughing then didn’t stop. It was a sound Annette would never forget. When Felix managed to calm down he told her not to tell anyone. Annette promised that she wouldn’t do that, though that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t stop thinking about it. 

Annette wanted to join Felix when he offered to take her home. She didn’t want to leave Felix, they grew so close that she wanted to talk to him some more. She wanted to be there for him to help him through losing his father. She knew that one night of crying and drinking wouldn’t be helpful. Even though Felix wouldn’t be alone it didn’t stop Annette from worrying about him. Still, she had to check on her mother before she focused on her goals again. Then there were her complicated feelings about her father. 

Sure, she was happy that he was alive, but she was upset about the trouble his absence caused for their family. He protected her when her uncle tried to drag her back home during the war, but when they returned to the monastery he checked on her for a bit before he left to check on Dimitri. Should she be happy that he protected her? Then again she wasn’t too bad on the battlefield herself. Annette wrote to her mother about being reunited again. Her mother let her know that she was glad Gilbert was still alive, but not to worry about it since the war was a bigger priority. Now that the war ended she knew that it was only a matter of time before her mother bought up the topic. Annette didn’t know what she was going to say. Things were getting better between them, it still was awkward around him. Annette wanted to make up with him, she wanted her parents to reunite and as childish as it sounded she wanted them to be a family again. One thing at a time.

Marilyn took a seat while Annette helped the maids with the lunch. The maids and chefs reminded her that she could wait in the dining room with Marilyn. Annette forgot that she wasn’t back at the monastery. She would have to get used to being back at her uncle’s house like this again. She flashed a smile before she walked into the dining room to join her mother. 

“Sorry about that. I was on kitchen duty back at the monastery a lot.”

“That’s alright, why don’t you tell me what that was like?”

“Oh! It was great! Many times I cooked with Ashe and Mercie so we always got through the shifts with no problem. Ashe is such an amazing cook, I wish you could taste his food! Mercie was good at baking sweets and I learned how to cut vegetables. When our friend Dedue came back things really became easier in the kitchen. We were able to split up the jobs much easier and get everyone fed. Dedue is a really great chef too! I hope you’ll be able to taste their food one day.”

“I look forward to it. When we’re done eating I’d love to see some of your magic. Your uncle told me that you were quite strong when he faced it on the battlefield.”

“Sure, I’ve gotten much better at a lot of spells! I hope Uncle Dominic isn’t too upset with me. I didn’t mean to attack him so hard. I just didn’t want to go when everyone needed me.”

“I told him that once you set your mind to something you would see it through to the end.” Marilyn said as she placed her teacup down. She reached over and took Annette’s hand. “I’m glad that you were able to make it home safely.”

Annette smiled as she squeezed her mom’s hand. “It’s good to be home.” She had to figure out where she would go from here, but for now she could enjoy spending time with her family. 

*~*~*

Felix fell asleep through much of the ride back to his territory. He wasn’t in the mood to talk and he hasn’t been able to go to sleep since his dad died and the war ended. At least he was able to get some sleep before they stopped at his castle. He stared at the familiar entrance as a lump entered his throat since his father wouldn’t be there to welcome him. Instead he saw Laurent, his father’s assistant, walk out from the castle and over to the carriage.

“My lord, it is good to see you again. I am glad that you are back safe and sound.”

Felix grumbled as he opened the door. “I haven’t even walked inside yet. Can’t this wait?”

Laurent nodded. “Yes my Lord, I’ll let you say goodbye to your comrades. I’ll alert everyone that you’ve returned.” He turned around and walked back towards the castle. 

Felix moved to get his bags when he saw his servants come out to do it. He forgot that he would have to return to being a noble again. He’d still find some time to sword train, he wasn’t going to give that up. He looked behind him to see Dedue, Ashe, Dimitri and Byleth walking over to him. Sylvain, Mercedes, and Ingrid stepped out of the car and joined them. 

“I can’t believe we got here so fast. If you want to stay with us longer I’m sure I can arrange it.” Dimitri said.

Felix shook his head. “No, it’s alright. There are many things I need to check on. I couldn’t stay away from here for long anyway. I guess for now this is goodbye. I’m sure it won’t be long before I’m called again to meet with you all over something for our lands.”

Mercedes smiled. “Yes, I’m sure that we’ll see each other again. Make sure you take care of yourself.”

“Don’t think I’m not gonna send you letters to see how you’re doing. Take care, Felix.” Sylvain said.

Ingrid nodded. “Make sure that you reach out if you need anything. We’ll be here for you.”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to see each other soon. I’ll make sure to write!” Ashe said.

“It has been an honor Felix.” Dedue said.

“We’ll always be here for you.” Blyeth said.

“Felix, I…” Dimitri started when Felix shook his head. “Let me guess you’re going to tell me that we’ll always be friends and that I can always come to you when I need something since you’re king. No need I know all that...Dimitri. I’ll keep you updated on whatever my land needs.”

Dimitri chuckled. “Yes, of course Felix.”

The corner of Felix’s mouth lifted as he tucked a lock behind his ear. “The snow is starting to pick up, you guys better get out of here or you’ll be stuck here for a couple of days.”

“Maybe we want to be stuck here. You never know.” Sylvain said.

“Felix is right, we should be making our way to the inn so we can rest for the night.” Dimitri walked over and held out his hand to Felix. “Until we meet again, my friend.”

Felix shook his hand. “Until then,”

He watched as everyone returned to the carriage then rolled away, until it disappeared. Felix turned around to his home and swallowed the lump in his throat on his way inside. It wasn’t long before Laruent joined his side. “I know that you’ve only returned there are many matters that have to be settled or at least discussed. Were you able to read the letter we sent? There are some important papers your father left behind that need your opinion.”

Felix frowned. “How many papers?” 

“The last time I checked there were fifteen. Five more have arrived and there will be three more arriving within the coming week. After that many of the leaders of the nearby villages are asking what are your plans to help the area now that the war has ended.”

“Can I look at what is going on first before I make a decision? I haven’t been inside for no more than a few minutes. I would like to get some rest first. I am going to my room to do just that. I will look at the papers later. Anything else that needs my attention put on my father’s...on my desk.”

Laurent nodded. “Yes my lord, I will let the other advisors know immediately.” He bowed then turned down the hallway while Felix walked the other way to his room. He has walked down this familiar hallway many times, yet it was much quieter than usual. Felix stopped at their painting in the middle of the hallway, their family painting, the last one with his mother. His father requested to have the painting taken out of the main hall and placed in the family wing of the castle. He touched the frame and didn’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. “Mother, Father, Glenn...I’m home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette returns home where she visits her mother and starts the process of making up with her father. It's not as easy as she thought. Meanwhile, Felix settles into his new life as Duke. It was harder than it looked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm splitting up the big fic into smaller chapters to help make things easier. Thanks for bearing this with me.
> 
> Enjoy!

Annette fell into a routine after she settled in her uncle’s home. She would wake up, have breakfast with her mother and uncle, finish up any chores that she could, visit the town that was close by to do some shopping, come back for lunch, then practice magic until it was time for dinner. After she ate dinner she would read or talk with her mother before she went off to bed. She wasn’t any closer to figuring out what she wanted to do next. There was always her magic, but with the peace coming over the land she wouldn’t have a need to use her magic in such a way anymore. She could try practicing with her axe again, but she ran into the same problem. It would be good to learn to defend herself again, yet she had her magic for that. 

Whenever she brought up the topic with her mom she suggested magic or looking for a husband, a subject Annette quickly changed before it could go any further. It’s not that she didn’t like the topic, it’s just that whenever her mom brought it up her mind immediately went to Felix. She only told her mom about Felix and her friends when she mentioned their adventures. She knew she probably smiled a lot when she bought up Felix, but she couldn’t help it. She had such a crush on him that hadn’t really gone away. Annette didn’t want to get her hopes up just to receive a letter that Felix was getting married. He was a noble, she knew it was probably a matter of time before someone from his council would try to set up a wife for him. Then again it would probably be harder to do something like that for Felix. She giggled whenever she thought back to the times he fussed about doing something then ended up doing the thing when he thought no one was looking. She hoped she could see him and their friends sometime soon. 

One morning after Annette finished her morning routine she walked into the dining room to greet her mom and uncle when she stopped at the sight of her father in the chair next to her mom. She should be happy about seeing him, not nervous that he’s so close by and she doesn’t know what to say that wouldn’t be awkward. Marilyn looked over at the doorway with a small smile. 

“Good morning sweetie, your father is here to join us.”

Gilbert nodded as he tried to give his best smile in return. “Good morning, Annette.”

“Good morning.” Annette said. She walked over to take the seat on the other side of her mom. She looked over at her uncle who didn’t hide his discomfort at the scene. He cleared his throat and placed his tea cup down on the table. 

“Yes, it’s good to see my brother once again. Why don’t you tell Annette the reason for your visit?”

Gilbert nodded. “Thank you Edgar. I’m here Annette to let you know that his highness, Dimitri, has returned safely to the castle. I’ll be returning there in a few days to get the new knights to settle in, while I’m there I’m going to begin the cleaning process for our home. It should be finished within a few weeks. When everything is done I wondered if you would like to return home with us?” He gestured to Marylin who reached up and placed her hand over Gilbert’s own.

Annette did her best not to shift too much in her seat. On the one hand she would probably be able to figure out the next step of her life back home. She would be closer to her friends and she would be closer to Felix. On the other she doesn’t know if she could accept her father coming back into her life so easily, even if her mom already made her decision. She cleared her throat and reached for an apple on the table. “We would be going home together? Me, you, and mother?”

“Yes, my scouts have told me that our castle has some minimal damage that can be repaired.” Gilbert said.

“Once everything is done then we’ll be able to return right? We would be able to stay together?”

“...I do have my work with the knights under the new king. I will return home every night.”

Annette hummed and gripped the apple in her hand. “...You will?”

“Annette, your father said-” Marylin started when Gilbert squeezed her hand. “It’s fine. Yes, I will be returning home every night.”

“...I need some time to think about my decision. Is that alright?”

“That’s fine.”

“When do you leave?”

“I’ll be leaving for the capital city at the end of the week.”

“I will let you know then. Now if you excuse me I’ll be taking my breakfast in the garden, if that’s alright uncle Edgar?”

Edgar nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll let the maids know.”

“Thank you.” Annette stood up from the table. “...It’s nice to see you again father.” She walked away from the table with the apple in her hand. Once she made it to the garden she took a seat in the nearest chair by the table and placed her face in her hands. She would be going home with her parents, they would be able to be a family again, yet she didn’t know how to feel. Should she be happy? Should she be mad? Was it right to accept him so easily? They did fight together in the war side by side, so she should be excited that they could start over right? Then why wasn’t she excited about it? Annette sighed and took a bite out of the apple. She wished there was someone around for her to talk about it. 

*~*~*

Once Felix settled back home he didn’t get a chance to relax. There were papers he had to sign, treaties he had to look after, meeting after meeting about the restoration of the territory and the surrounding areas. Laurent did his best to help keep everything organized for Felix while he adjusted to life back home, yet it was hard for him to do both at the same time. Felix managed to get a couple of hours to take a breath between his morning meetings and the three he had in the afternoon. He spent his nights reading over papers until his eyes hurt. When he couldn’t read anymore he went to bed where he would wake up the next morning to do it over again. He knew his father had connections; he wasn’t aware of how far those connections went. It seemed that everyday he was receiving news about someone who wanted to talk to him about some plan that his father had a part in. If it wasn’t news then it was a letter or a meeting or someone who wanted to tell him how great his father was or let Felix know how proud his father would be of him. Felix would change the topic, he already spent his nights going over the last battle, wondering if there was something he could have done to change the outcome. He didn't need someone letting him know how his father felt. His father made sure to let him know before that battle happened before everything changed and he was trying to take over without his guidance. Felix knew he would have to take over the territory one day. He really expected to take over after his father retired, not like this. 

Felix groaned as he placed another treaty down on the desk. The words started to blend together that it was time for a break. He stood up from the desk and stretched his arms above his head. It’s been far too long since he touched his sword, though it’s not like he had time to train anymore. He can’t believe he missed the freedom back at the monastery. Felix walked over to the next room where Laurent checked over his notes for the day.

“Laurent, I will be going out to stretch my legs. I’ll be back soon.”

Laurent nodded. “Yes my lord. Do not forget, the leaders of the nearby villages will be here today to talk about the land expansion between his village and the neighboring one.”

“Didn’t they come together for a peace treaty during the war?”

“Yes they did. Now they’re coming to ask you about approving the land expansion between them.”

“Alright, I’ll be back by then.”

“Yes my lord.”

Felix left Laurent’s office and walked out the door into the hallway. After he closed the door he grumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. At least the leaders were working together, he still didn’t want to go through another meeting. He grumbled on his way down the hallway, his thoughts wandering to his time back at the monastery. The meals he shared with them in the dining hall, fighting alongside them, listening to Sylvain tell him about something that happened during tea time with Byleth, and having Mercedes gently fuss at him after each battle. Then there was Ashe and Ingrid coming to him with another book. Being able to finally talk to Dimitri and seeing that Dedue is alright that he could enjoy his cooking again. Taking time out to go visit the greenhouse then running into Annette where he would listen to her singing. He could always calm down whenever he listened to her songs. What he wouldn’t do to be able to listen to one of her songs now.

Felix stopped walking and looked out the window. He watched the snow fall as his mind wandered to Annette. It would be fine, not like there would be anyone around to catch him daydreaming about her beautiful voice, her bright blue eyes, her cute smile and the list goes on and on. He flushed at the thought of Annette turning that big smile towards him with a call of his name. 

Felix could never forget when she first walked into the Blue Lions room. She was so eager to help everyone that she nearly knocked her books off her desk. At first, he didn’t pay much attention to her, since he had to try to get used to Dimitri and Sylvain being in the same class then they started training together, eating together, and that fateful moment of running into her in the greenhouse during one of her songs. He couldn’t get the tune out of his head, he wanted to hear her sing, but he wasn’t ready to admit that his feelings for her were growing. He worried about her during the war then his relief when they met up together again five years later. 

Felix remembered the many talks they had in between their breaks. When he confided in her about his concerns over Dimitri, the future of the kingdom, and anything else on his mind she always listened. In turn Felix listened to Annette when she had her concerns about the future, her magic, and the new song she came up with. Before he knew it, it became easier to talk to her about nearly everything. He closed his eyes when the memory of that awful night returned. When he spent the night drinking to try to numb the pain of his father’s death, Annette was there to help him. She stayed with him, humming a soft tune as he fell asleep. Felix hummed the tune as he opened his eyes and watched the snow. Was she doing alright? Did Annette need anything? When would he see her again?

“My lord?” Laurent said.

“Yes?” Felix didn’t look away from the window.

“It is time for the meeting.”

“Fine.” Felix pulled away from the window and followed Laurent. Annette’s song would really help him get through these meetings. He should probably write a letter to her soon. It would be nice to get in contact with her again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette runs into a old friend while making a decision. Felix gets a visit from Sylvain and Mercedes along with memories about his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone thank you so much for the support!
> 
> Enjoy!

The deadline for Annette’s decision inched closer and closer with each day. She still hadn’t made up her mind on what she wanted to do. It’s not like she didn’t want to go home. It would be great to be able to see her room again, she didn’t know if she would be able to trust her father’s words. Would he come home? Or would he leave again? She didn’t want her mother to be sad if he left again. Was she wrong for thinking that he would leave again? Annette knew that with Dimitri as king there would be a lot of changes going through the kingdom, changes that her father would want to oversee. Would he make time for them again? Annette didn’t want to be so confused about her decision. They fought a war together and it wasn’t like they didn’t talk. Still, she wasn’t so sure if she could trust him again.

Days moved by, until it was two days before he father would leave and she wasn’t any closer to making a decision. After breakfast Annette decided to take a walk in an effort to clear her head and hopefully come to a decision about something. Annette walked into town and around the marketplace. Every little thing in the marketplace reminded Annette of her friends. The smell of the spices reminded her of cooking with Ashe and Dedue. She always had such fun cooking with them even if she couldn’t cut a vegetable as fast. The suit of armor brought Dimitri to mind, she really hoped he was doing okay. Then again the last time Annette saw Dimitri he looked really happy with Byleth so that helped her feel better. 

Annette walked over to a stand with board games she thought about Sylvain. He was better at these games than she thought. One day she would get a rematch and win. The fabrics reminded her of Mercedes and how she taught her how to sew. Annette only managed enough to be able to sew her dress back though that wasn’t too bad. She walked down further when she stopped at a stand that was close to one that sold small blades. Felix hasn’t left her mind since she returned home, seeing the blades wasn’t helping. She quickly moved to the next stand before her mind started to wander to Felix again and her thoughts would spiral from there. 

Annette walked down further to another stand that sold a variety of combs and various horse maintenance equipment. She stopped by to see if she could get another comb for her uncle’s horse. It was the least she could do for everything he has done for her. Annette leaned over to grab one further along when she bumped hands with someone else who reached for the comb at the same time. She pulled her hand back and grinned at the person next to her. “Oh sorry about that you can have it.”

“No, please, I insist...Annette?”

Annette’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. “Ingrid?”

Ingrid smiled. “Annette! How are you?” She laughed when Annette quickly wrapped her arms around her neck. “It’s really good to see you too.”

Annette giggled as she let Ingrid go and landed back on her feet. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here on behalf of Dimitri, his highness, he had a few new proposals that he wanted your uncle to look at. Only two knights were needed so the rest of the knights decided to go explore the area. I found this cute little market, I needed to get some more materials that I did a little shopping. How about you?”

“I needed to clear my head so I walked around the market. It’s one of my favorite places to go to.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Do you have some time to talk?”

“Of course, that meeting won’t end for a long time. Let’s go find a spot.”

Annette nodded as she followed behind Ingrid out of the market. They walked over to a little place off to the side that wasn’t too far from the booth that sold teas. They took a seat next to each other on the bench. Ingrid waited while Annette started to mess with her hands. 

“Alright, so tell me what’s wrong?” Ingrid asked.

Annette started to tell her about the return of her father and his attempts to repair their relationship. Her worries about her mother accepting him, but her problems with doing the same thing. How her father wants them return to the capital city with him while he helped get the new knights under the king settled. 

“I really want to go back home. I just don’t know if it’s the right choice. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life that this sounds like a good decision, but I’m still uncertain. I don’t have that much time cause my father leaves soon. I know my mother will be going with him so I don’t want to stay here and disappoint her when I still don’t know what to do. What do you think I should do?”

“Hmm, this is quite a tricky situation you’re in. I know you two fought together in the war, still that might not be enough to bring people together. You know you don’t have to return to the capital with your parents. I will be making a couple of stops around the area to drop off different proposals from Dimitri. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?” 

“No, I’ll let the knights know that you’re the friend who helped me and the king during the war. With your knowledge of magic I’m sure many of the knights would be interested.”

“That wouldn’t be too bad. I could always return home when we finish! What areas are you going to?” 

“Let’s see when I leave here we’re going to be passing through a couple of other towns before we’ll stop at the Fraldarius Dukedom then-”

“Wait, are you going to be visiting Felix?”

“Yes, he’s on our way to Gautier land, but I believe Sylvain is going to meet us at Fraldarius castle. It will make things easier for me since I also have a proposal for him to look at. Would you like to join me?”

“Yes! That’s great! I’ll be able to make a decision by then! I can let my parents know when I meet up with them again at the capital. Thank you so much for the help Ingrid!”

Ingrid smiled. “You’re welcome. Oh, we should go back to see if the meeting is finished by now.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll be able to let my father know my decision too.”

“Alright, let’s go.” 

Annette and Ingrid stood up then made their way back to Baron Dominic’s house. Once they returned Ingrid joined the other knights while Annette looked for her uncle and parents. She found them in the main area where she told them about her plan.

“I’ll join you in the capital after traveling around with Ingrid.”

Gilbert nodded. “Sounds like a good idea to me. She will be with one of the top Pegasus Knights after all.”

“Alright, it sounds like you’ll be okay, but when you get there please write to us. I want to make sure that you arrived in the Fraldarius area safely.” Marilyn said.

“I will! I’m going to go tell Ingrid that everything is set.” Annette said. She quickly got up from her seat and walked out the room to look for Ingrid. She felt much better than she had in days. She finally had an answer and she would be able to see Felix soon. She couldn’t wait. 

*~*~*

“Tell me again why are you here so early? Got tired of your father already?” Felix asked. He stood in the doorway as he watched his servants unpack Sylvain and Mercedes’ bags.

Sylvain laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I figured since we have to talk about the new treaties anyway why not come by for a little visit. It has been awhile since we saw each other.”

“Hmm, I suppose.” 

“Besides, it’s Mercedes’ first time being here! I wanted to show her your home. I got a chance to show her around some of the nearby places too.” Sylvain said as Mercedes walked over to join them. 

“There were many beautiful sites that we passed by. Hello Felix, it’s good to see you.” Mercedes smiled.

“Hello Mercedes, did you need a break from Sylvain’s dad too?” Felix asked with a small turn of his lips.

Mercedes giggled. “He’s a very interesting person. I believe he’s starting to warm up to me since I baked those sweets for him.”

“I’m glad he stopped asking those questions about your crest. When we get home give him more bread it’s the easiest way to make him quiet.” Sylvain said.

Mercedes squeezed his hand. “It will be fine. I believe they’re finished unloading our bags. I'd love a tour before going to our room.”

Felix nodded as he turned and walked towards the door. “There isn’t much to show except old paintings and furniture, but if you want to see it that bad follow me.”

Mercedes and Sylvain shared a knowing smile on the way inside behind Felix. Felix wouldn’t say that he was glad to see them, but it did feel good to have them so close by. Now if only he could see Annette...no he can’t let his mind wander especially with Sylvain and Mercedes around. Besides, he wrote her a letter and planned on writing another, it would be fine. 

Felix gave Mercedes a tour with Sylvain adding little details about their childhood with each spot. The place where Felix would hide when they played hide and seek in the castle when it was too cold to play outside. The gardens where Rodrigue would let them pick a few flowers to take home. The rooms that they stayed in then usually ended up sleeping together in Felix’s room after going back and forth throughout the night. He avoided Glenn’s room and his parents’ room. He wasn’t ready to think back about his father just yet. 

Felix walked back into one of the parlors and gestured around the room. “You’re welcome to stay here when you get tired. You have a room with Sylvain, he knows what to do if you want something, and that’s it. Any questions?”

“I do have one. Ingrid told me there was a place where you guys played all the time. Where is it? I’d love to see it.” Mercedes said.

“Oh, that’s a field that’s not too far from here, but it’s covered with snow right now.” Felix said.

“We could go for a ride and pass it. We won’t be able to stay, but we could still see it sometime this week.” Sylvain said.

Felix nodded. “Once we get through with these treaties and meetings then we’ll go there.”

“I’m really looking forward to it.” Mercedes said.

“Speaking of Ingrid, did you get her letter? She’s going to be visiting different areas on behalf of his highness. Sounds like she’s going to be coming here soon too.” Sylvain said.

“I see the other reason why you’ve decided to come by. When is she going to arrive?” Felix asked.

“Let’s see, she’ll probably be here in a few days. You know Ingrid, once she gets an assignment she’s going to see it through to the end. If I remember correctly she’s going to be visiting the Dominic region too. You do remember that part of the letter don’t you Felix?” Sylvain said.

Felix wanted to knock that grin off his face. “I am aware that she’s going to visit that region. Baron Dominic lives there, he’s nobility, that's not unusual that Ingrid is going to talk to him.”

“Annie lives there too now. The last letter I received from her she told me she was thinking about where to go in the future. I don’t believe she’s left yet. I hope she’ll get a chance to talk to Ingrid. I miss them both. Maybe one day we could go visit the Dominic region? I’d love to see it.” Mercedes said.

“It would probably be a good idea before I take over my dad’s title. Would you like to join us Felix? You have a chance to see Annette again.” Sylvain grinned.

“I have too much work here. I won’t be able to go out until I settle these affairs even then it will be a short trip.” Felix said. 

“Many things can happen during a short trip, you know.” 

“One more word out of your mouth and I’m gonna give Mercedes the room. You can sleep in here.”

Sylvain laughed. “Alright, alright that couch is really uncomfortable. How about we get something to eat first? Do you have time for that?”

Felix nodded. “I do.”

“Great! Come on Mercedes I can show you where many heated debates in our childhood took place.” Sylvain said on his way out the room.

Mercedes giggled. “I can’t wait to see it.”

Felix walked behind them thinking about when would be a good time to go see Annette. Things were much easier when they were back at the monastery. He could see Annette at any time without having to worry about the working piling up on his desk. He would just have to figure out a time when it would be good enough to visit her. Even if it was a short visit that would inevitable turn into work, he’d look forward to it. 

Felix may have been distracted during his meal. He looked up from his plate to Sylvain and Mercedes talking with Laurent and the others who joined them. He didn’t eat in the dining room a lot. If he did he had some paper or something in his hand to read to take his mind off the silence in the room. Laurent and a couple of the servants he grew up with came by to keep him company, still it didn’t stop him from waiting for his father to walk through the doors talking about how happy it was to have him home. He never thought he would miss such little things so much.

“Felix? Are you okay?” Mercedes asked.

Felix reached up and touched the tears on his cheek. He didn’t realize that he had zoned out quite that hard. He quickly wiped his face as he nodded. “I’m fine. I’m going to finish this later.” He got up and walked out the room. Mercedes got up when Sylvain gently took her hand. She looked at him as he shook his head.

“Give Felix some time. He’s probably happy to see us and eat with us again, but I know him. He’s not going to talk to you when he’s like that. It’s better to give him some space.”

Mercedes looked at the door before she nodded and sat back down again. 

Felix walked to the hallway over to the window that overlooked the garden. He leaned against the wall and looked out at the garden. How could he lose control like that? At least he didn’t fall apart at the table. Felix quickly wiped his face again. He wasn’t supposed to be doing this alone. He was supposed to come home after the war, help his father settle some inner conflicts among the neighboring towns, then he would accept the title from his father when he was old. Felix closed his eyes as he started to hum one of the songs Annette used to sing in the greenhouse. 

It was one of his favorites.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette prepares for her trip with Ingrid. Felix gets help settling into his new role with Sylvain and Mercedes by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks again for the support! Hope you guys are enjoying the story!

Annette hummed as she gathered the last few things from her room for her trip. She would miss her mother and her uncle, but she felt sure about going with Ingrid. She was still unsure about how to proceed with her father, though now they talked more. She figured that was a good start to things. Besides, he would be with her mom so she wasn’t too worried. Her mom looked forward to being with her dad again after him being away for so long. Annette tried to focus more on her mother’s happiness instead of how easy it could have been for her father to write a letter to let her mother know he was alive. Still, her mom was happy and that’s what counts.

Annette checked over her luggage again when she looked up from the knock on her door. 

“Yes? Oh...hello father how are you? Where’s mother?”

“She’s out in the garden with Edgar. I wanted to come in to see how far along you were in with your packing though I see that you’re done.” Gilbert said. He hummed when he walked inside and looked around the room. “When are you going to be leaving?”

“We’re going to be leaving tomorrow. Ingrid told me that they’re finishing up everything today. She already sent word to Dimitri, finished up things here with uncle Edgar, and packed things up. We’ll spend one more night here before we set off for the next town. Isn’t that around the same time you’re going to be leaving for home with mother?”

“Yes, we’ve packed up our things as well. I am going to miss spending time with my brother, it will be nice to go home.”

“Mother will love to see our home again.”

“She will.”

Annette took a seat on her bed and smoothed out her dress. Gilbert walked over to the window and adjusted the curtain. “Do you have enough gloves?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good.”

Annette got up to place another skirt in her trunk. At least back at the monastery she could always count on one of her friends to lead her away when she didn’t know what to say to her dad. Now she ran out of stuff much faster than usual. Annette did have a lot of things she wanted to talk about, it just left her mind whenever her father walked in the room. She hummed and reached for another pair of gloves. “Are you going to take mother along the longer route? There are a lot of wonderful towns along that way that she would love.”

“I was thinking about that.”

“You should, there are a lot of nice sights along the way.”

“I will go tell the rider about it.”

“Good.”

Gilbert hummed and turned back to the window. Annette walked over to the closet to make sure she didn’t forget any dresses or scarves. 

“Annette?”

“Yes father?”

“When you set out with Ingrid be careful. I know that you can take care of yourself just be careful about bandits and people along the way. When you get to the Fraldarius lands let us know. Oh, didn’t the heir join us in battle?”

“Yes, his name is Felix. He’s the new leader of that territory now.”

“Yes, that’s right. Well, we’ll be looking forward to your letter. Oh, I wanted to ask the army a question about the troops back in the kingdom while they’re here. I will still be around if you need any help.”

“Thank you father. Um, could you help me carry my things down? It’s heavy and I don’t want to trip over it before I leave.”

“Okay, I will be here to help later on.”

“Great, well, have a safe trip with mother.”

“Thank you.” Gilbert said. He tried to give her his best smile on his way out the room. When Gilbert closed the door behind him Annette sighed and walked over to the bed. She fell back on it and stared up at the ceiling. She knew it would be hard to try to find common ground with him, she didn’t imagine it would be like this. Well, things went better than she thought. He talked to her, even gave her a smile, so that’s a step in the right direction even if it took a lot out of her.

Annette’s mind wandered to her trip. She reached under her pillow and grabbed the letter she received from Felix. She smiled and pressed the letter against her chest.

She would be able to see Felix soon. 

*~*~*

Felix started to get used to Sylvain and Mercedes at the castle. It reminded him of the times Sylvain used to stay when they were children. He got a chance to catch up with Mercedes who started to relax more and more into her life now that the war was over. She started to get to know the people in the region, many times she was the babysitter for anyone who needed it. While Sylvain learned more about the land and what people needed since the war ended. After their visit they were going to travel to Sreng to see what the people needed. Felix had to admit it was a good goal. A goal very similar to his own since he continued meeting with his father’s allies. Some allies he didn’t mind working with, others the less he saw of them the better. The meeting still grated on his nerves, though it started getting easier. Now that he had a better idea of what the land needed, he could start to make plans on fixing it. After he fixed it then he could improve on it, when things got better. His mind floated to the trip of visiting Annette when he had some time to relax. That may have been part of the reason he was working a little harder to try to settle some pressing issues. Something that he was sure Sylvain and Mercedes picked up on whenever they mentioned Annette around him. Felix ignored them and continued with his work with Annette on his mind. 

Annette’s songs came to mind whenever he became very stressed. He started imaging Annette walking around the garden, singing one of her songs about flowers and the sun. He sent off her letter a few days ago and waited for a response. That may have been another reason for him to look forward to the morning. He would wait for news about any new letter that day. Well, that wasn’t treaties. 

One morning on his way to the dining room Laurent stopped him in the hallway. 

“My lord, here are your letters for the day.”

“Any personal letters?”

“Yes, there’s one here from Lady Annette Dominic and one from King Blayidd.” 

“Thank you, I’ll take these. You can place the others on my desk.”

“Yes sir.” Laurent nodded before he walked off to Felix’s office. Felix waited until Laurent left and walked over to the sitting room to read Annette’s letter first. He could hear her voice while he read about her life back at home, getting to be with her mother again, trying to talk to her father, and how she would be coming by with Ingrid soon. Wait did he read that correctly? Felix read the sentence again and sat back on the couch. Annette would be coming by with Ingrid before she would go to the capital to be with her parents, but he could see Annette much earlier than he thought. He would be able to see her! There would be more people here than there has been in awhile, it wouldn’t be something he couldn’t handle. 

“Hey, we were wondering where you disappeared to. Your food is getting cold. Oh! What’s that? Is that a letter I see?” 

Felix pressed the letter against his chest as he turned to Sylvain who leaned against the doorframe with a smirk on his face. “Yes, I was going through my letters before I decided to eat.”

“Uh huh, then how come Dimitri’s letter isn’t open yet? He is the king after all. Shouldn’t you open that one first? Unless...it’s from Annette?”

“No! If it is then why do you want to know?” 

“Cause Ingrid made it there and I wanted to see if she managed to find Annette. I think she did and I think she’s going to be coming here with her too. Isn’t she?”

“Are you reading my mail now? Yes, she’s going to be coming through here with Ingrid since isn’t that the reason you’re here.”

“There are other reasons too! Maybe I wanted to see you! It’s been awhile and now more of our friends will be together. Isn’t that great?”

“It’s a regular reunion. I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad to have more people here. It’s not like I don’t have the room.”

“Leave it to Annette to get you happy about having more people here.” 

Felix glared at him before he folded up the letter and placed it in his lap. He reached over and grabbed Dimitri’s letter then handed it to Sylvain. “Here, since you want to read my mail so bad, why don’t you read what Dimitri wants.”

“First Annette gets you excited about guests, next you’re calling Dimitri by his name, what’s next?”

“You sleep in here or in the room with the bed that never gets warm.”

Sylvain snickered. “Okay, okay I do need to get my rest.” He walked over and took a seat next to him. “I’m glad you started eating dinner with us again. We were wondering how long you were going to eat in your office.”

“It was an easier choice. I didn’t want to do _that_ again.”

“I’ve seen you cry Felix that’s nothing new. It didn’t bother Mercedes either, she just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“...It’s hard to take care of things isn’t it?”

“...He made it look easy. I’m learning how to handle things, it’s just slower than I expected.”

“You’re a fast learner. You’ll pick it up in no time.”

“...Thank you.” 

“Anytime!”

Things may be different in Felix’s life there will always be some things that would stay the same. Felix stood up and carefully folded Annette’s letter while he ignored the grin on Sylvain’s face. “I’m going to be in the dining room soon there’s something I need to check.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I need to make sure that the guest room will be ready for Ingrid and Annette.”

“What? You mean Annette won’t be staying with you?”

“Mercedes! Get ready to have the room all to yourself tonight!” Felix called out on his way out of the sitting room.

“Wait, no! It’s too cold in here at night!” Sylvain said as he followed behind him.

Mercedes giggled as she watched Felix ignore Sylvain’s explanations of why he shouldn’t be in the sitting room at night. She still kept an eye on Felix, but it was good to see that he was feeling better again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette goes on her trip with Ingrid. Felix has a talk with Mercedes and enjoys his favorite tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! We're getting there and it will be complete soon I promise.
> 
> Thanks for the support!

When the day finally arrived for Annette to leave she was excited, yet she would really miss her uncle. He was there when they really needed him the most. She spent her last day eating lunch with him and she left him a gift. Her uncle let her know that she would always have a home. He would always welcome her and her mother if they ever needed him. She would really miss her uncle, she would definitely make sure to write to him when she got settled. Once her uncle went off to make sure that their carriage was in working order she walked over to her parents. She reassured them that she would write to them when she arrived in Fraldarius territory. Annette felt that she was leaving her mother again after being reunited with her, though she knew it was something she wanted to do. It wasn’t as awkward with her father as before. They were slowly getting better, it didn’t calm the worry in the back of her mind that he would leave her alone the minute they returned home. Annette hoped that her mother would be able to find her old friends or make new ones so she wouldn’t be waiting for her father. 

Once everything was set, the carriages were checked, the horses prepared, and the drivers ready Annette and Ingrid set off to the west while her parents set off to the east. Annette placed her hands in her lap as she looked out the window. 

“Are you alright? We’re not too far away, we can turn back.” Ingrid said.

Annette shook her head. “No, I’m prepared. I’m just gonna really miss my mom and uncle. It was pretty great staying there. The cooks even let me help a little in the kitchen! I’m going to miss it, but I know it’s for the best. I’m excited to get a chance to see the areas around here. How many proposals are you dropping off?”

Ingrid looked a little unsure about her answer. She didn’t want Annette to feel pushed into coming along with her, but she would have told Ingrid if she didn’t want to come. She nodded as she settled into her seat. “Hmm, we’re going to be passing through three towns. His highness wants a survey about the lands to see what everyone needs, what he can provide, etc., He’s been busy at work trying to make sure that he gets everything sorted out. Sometimes I worry that he’s not eating or sleeping enough. I’m glad that Byleth and Dedue are there to help remind him about that.”

“I remember Byleth dragging him to the dining hall after our meetings. Sometimes if she couldn’t get him into the dining hall she would carry food to him. Is he getting some sleep?”

“He’s getting much more than he has in a while. He only sneaks out of his room to his office when Byleth has to go back to the monastery. Many mornings I’ve caught him asleep at his desk.”

Annette giggled. “That sounds like Dimitri. I’m glad that Byleth is with him to help keep an eye on him. I hope she hasn’t been working too hard either. I can’t imagine how it must be to make trips to the monastery then back to the kingdom again.”

“She’s been doing best too. We’ve tried to find easier, faster ways to get her there, but we haven’t found anything yet. It’s funny seeing the change on his face when she comes back after being gone for awhile. It’s nice to see him so happy.”

“I’m glad they are. How about you Ingrid? Going around to give proposals sounds like a lot of work too. You’re not working too hard, are you?”

“Me? Oh no, I’m doing fine! I don’t like sitting around for too long doing nothing. Sure, I have my training with the other Pegasus Knights then there are my knightly duties, checking in with my father, and helping the new recruits settle in. Don’t worry I make sure to take some time to relax.” Ingrid quickly added from the frown on Annette’s face. “There are a lot of things that we have to fix in the Kingdom. It’s slowly happening, still every small step counts.”

“It will go a long way in the future too. I’m really looking forward to seeing it. I’m trying to figure out what I can do to help. I want to help with magic, I know that. Oh, I know! Do you mind if I ask about the state of magic in the towns we’re going to visit?”

“Not at all that sounds like a great idea! If you don’t mind writing it down so I can send it to Dimitri.”

“Nope! That would be great! I’m glad that I can help.”

“No problem at all. Oh while we’re there we can grab some things for our friends. Sylvain sent me a letter letting me know that he’s going to be waiting for us with Felix and Mercedes. When we get there Felix, Sylvain, and Mercedes will be waiting for us!”

“Really? I can’t wait to see them! Mercie said that Sylvain’s dad has been asking her a lot about her crest, though I think he’s slowly warming up to her.”

“If anyone can help Sylvain’s father change his mind it’s Mercedes.”

Annette giggled. “You’re right!”

On their way to the next town Annette and Ingrid happily talked about what was going on in their lives along with the letters that they’ve received from their friends. It turned out that many of their friends were trying to find their way like Annette or had a position like Ingrid. Annette was glad that many of their friends were alright. She’s received a few letters from Hilda, Linhardt, Mercedes, Ashe, and Caspar too. She enjoyed reading every letter and looked forward to getting more. With Mercedes, Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix all together again it was like a mini reunion. Hopefully they would all be able to be together soon.

*~*~*

Since Felix received the letter that Annette would be arriving with Ingrid he set about making sure that her room was ready and different places in the castle that she would like. Felix bought a couple of teas that she would like based on Mercedes' recommendation. He ordered some sweets, more meats for Ingrid, and anything else he thought they would need. Of course, Sylvain was there to be supportive and tease Felix whenever something new came in. He was used to it, it didn’t stop him from saying something to him every time he bought it up. While he didn’t say it out loud he looked forward to having his friends with him for a little while. It would break up his schedule of going looking through documents and meeting other leaders in the region. 

For all of their teasing Sylvain and Mercedes were helpful when it came to issues that frustrated him. He would give them that, now if only they would be quiet about Annette and Ingrid’s visit then things would really be great. 

One night Felix stayed in his office late into the night looking over Dimitri’s letter again. It looked like there were some places he wanted his second opinion on when Ingrid came by. He spent time getting the notes he wrote from each place together. He figured doing something was better than staring at his ceiling all night. He hated the nights when he couldn’t sleep. His mind always returned to the war and the different situations he’s tried to block out. Other times his father’s last words would echo in his mind. Whenever that happened he found ways to keep busy. 

Felix looked through the other stack on his desk when he heard a soft knock on his door. He looked up to see Mercedes with a tray in her hand. She gestured to the tray in her hand with a smile. “I was wondering if you’d like some tea.”

Felix nodded. “Sure, everything is starting to blur together anyway.”

“Where would you like to go? I’m sure you don’t want to drink tea in your office.”

“I know where we can go.” Felix placed the papers aside and stood up from his desk. He led Mercedes over to a room that overlooked the garden. He sat down and grabbed a cup of tea. “You couldn’t sleep either.”

Mercedes nodded. “It’s one of those nights where I can’t stop thinking. I didn’t want to wake up Sylvain, he just got to sleep, so I made some tea. I made another cup when I saw the light from your office. Whenever I need to get some sleep chamomile and lavender does the trick.”

“We’ll see if this works.”

“I know it’s not the same as training, but I’m glad you’re going to give it a chance.”

Felix hummed as he took a sip. The tea smelled good and the scents calmed him down. He sat back and took another sip. “I’ve only been able to train for a few hours in the morning before I have to get to work. I’ve read Dimitri’s letter, he’s grown much softer now.”

“He has, though Ingrid has told me that he’ll overwork if Byleth or Dedue doesn’t watch him. I think it helps him when his mind is loud too.”

“What do you do when that happens to you?”

“Drink tea, read, walk around or start another sewing project. Sylvain has made a whole room for me, sometimes I spend hours in there when I need to quiet my mind. Some nights when Sylvain can’t sleep either we walk around or talk.”

“Thank you for not telling me your other methods.”

Mercedes giggled. “You’re welcome. I think it’s going to be some time before we all will be able to sleep without our minds racing.”

Felix nodded. “I don’t think it will completely go away either.”

“That’s another possibility, though it’s one I don’t think about often. We managed to survive the war and see a new future of Fodlan. Everyday we get a chance to do something new. It’s something to look forward to.”

“...Yeah anything can change.”

“Yes.” Mercedes hummed. 

They fell into a comfortable silence while they drank their tea. Mercedes enjoyed the small plate of treats and Felix reached for the crackers that she placed aside for him. 

“So I couldn’t help, but notice that more of the sweets Annette likes were delivered yesterday.”

“I thought you were in the library.”

“I did walk around for a bit. Did you get another can of her tea too?”

“I’m going back to my office.”

Mercedes giggled as she poured another cup of tea. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette helps Ingrid with her job from Dimitri. Felix gets ready to see Annette again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Now we're getting to the part where Annette and Felix are seeing each other again. 
> 
> Thanks for the support!

On their visits to the different towns Annette made good on her word. While Ingrid delivered the proposal, Annette would visit the local school and ask about their magic. She would write down the state of the magic, note if they needed any help, then give the report to Ingrid. She had to find her rhythm at first, especially when she would trip in front of the teacher in charge, but after the second town Annette started to get the hang of it. She enjoyed having Ingrid nearby while they visited each town. She got to try different kinds of food, check out the markets, and see the towns around her home for the first time in a long time. She couldn’t remember when she was able to visit. Annette always bought one small trinket as a souvenir. She wanted something that would help her the amazing places they visited.

With each passing town they grew closer and closer to visiting Fraldarius territory. Annette was excited to see her friends again, to see Felix again, but a little nervous about being around him again. Annette tried to reason away her crush when they went their separate ways. She didn’t know when she would see him again. He would probably be so busy with work taking over his father’s spot that surely he wouldn’t have time to think about anything else. Her mind changed after she received his letter. She couldn’t believe that he was still thinking about her! She sent off her response before she left, but now they would be able to see each other again. It was hard for her to contain her excitement.

Ingrid and Annette finished their business with the last town before Fraldarius territory. After they got their information, Annette got her souvenir, and Ingrid tried the inn’s known meal they set off. 

“So, are you ready to see everyone again?” Ingrid asked. 

Annette nodded. “I am! It’s been too long since we’ve all been together. How is it like in Fraldarius territory? How is Felix’s castle like? You used to play there a lot when you kids right?”

“Yes, we did. If we weren’t with Dimitri or over at Sylvain’s place we were at the Fraldarius castle. It’s a beautiful place. Not too far from the castle there’s a beach, though it’s never warm enough to swim in it, it’s a nice place to look at the waves. Fraldarius territory is a beautiful place. There are gardens all over the land and the inside has beautiful tapestries, carpets, and the rooms are very nice. It might be a little colder at night, but it’s a really great place.”

“I can’t wait to see it!”

“This might be the first time Felix will ever give a tour of his home. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you asked.”

“Ingrid! Do you know?”

“I always had my suspicions and I may have caught you two in the greenhouse a couple of days before we left to go home. Sorry, I didn’t mean to! Dimitri wanted to see Felix and Mercedes wanted to know where you were so I walked around to see where you guys would be when I saw you two in the greenhouse. I didn’t know how to get your attention so I left. I haven’t told anyone don’t worry!”

Annette placed her red face in her hands. “I can’t believe we got caught! I didn’t even mean to, not there anyway, but when Felix left the infirmary I was really happy to see him that I may have acted before I thought about it.”

“Did you two talk about it? I’m surprised you didn’t join us when we were going back home.”

“I wanted to see my mom first before I made any decisions. She’s doing fine and is back with my father. My father on the other hand...we’re getting along, but it can be difficult at times. They’re back at the capital. I’m going to visit them once we’re finished then go figure out what I would like to do. I did think about everyone when I was home. I wondered how it would have been like to go back with everyone.” Annette had a feeling she would have met her parents in the capital instead of her uncle’s territory.

“We always end up thinking about what could have been, but now you don’t have to worry. We’re going to be meeting Felix again really soon. I’m sure there will be plenty of time for you two to talk.”

“I think so too.” 

Now all Annette had to do was calm her nerves down enough for them to talk about their feelings. That would be easy, right?”

*~*~*

Felix may have been a little on edge since he received notice that Ingrid’s carriage was in town. Ingrid in town meant that it wouldn’t be long before he saw Annette again. He checked the bedroom to make sure that it was ready. Made sure that the food for Annette and Ingrid would be there, along with the kind of tea that they liked to drink. He ignored every smile Mercedes and Sylvain sent his way. He knew they would be waiting for Annette and Ingrid to arrive. They also wanted to see his reaction. Felix tried to disappear into his work, but that didn’t last long. He stopped after he read the same passage two times. He gave up for the day and walked out into the main room to join Sylvain and Mercedes.

Sylvain grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to concentrate.”

Felix glared at him. “Do you ever know when to be quiet?”

“It’s a gift.”

“It’s not a very good one.”

Sylvain opened his mouth to respond when Laurent walked into the room. “Excuse me, my lord? Knight Galatea and Lady Dominic is here.”

Felix nodded. “Thank you Laurent. We’ll be there to greet them shortly.”

Laurent nodded then walked out the room. Sylvain and Mercedes grinned over at Felix as he got up and smoothed down his shirt. He ignored them on his way towards the door. He couldn’t deny how excited he was to see her again. Felix walked out to see Ingrid stepping out of the carriage first then Annette. He could recognize that red hair anywhere. He swallowed when Annette looked over at him and waved happily as if it hasn’t been some time since they’ve seen each other. Well, now that he could see her the days didn’t feel too long anymore.

“Hi Felix!” Annette said.

“Hello Annette.” Felix said. He walked over to meet Annette who met him halfway.

“I’m so happy to see you! I have so many things to show you about the places me and Ingrid have been...oh!” Annette exclaimed as she lost her footing on some snow. Felix rushed to catch her, Annette nearly fell into his arms if he didn’t hold her up with an arm around her waist. This isn’t how he thought their reunion would go. It is one that he’ll remember. He looked into her eyes, the same bright blue eyes that never left his mind, along with her cute orange hair. Annette placed her hand on his chest as she stared back into his brown eyes. She remembered how soft those brown eyes could be. They were lost in their own little world, until Sylvain cleared his throat. “Well, it’s nice to see you too Annette.”

“Sylvain! Hi!” Annette squeaked.

Felix placed her back on her feet and took a few steps back. “I’ll go see Ingrid.” He quickly walked over to the carriage and hoped his cheeks weren’t too red.

Mercedes giggled on her way over to Annette and Sylvain. “Hi Annie, it’s so nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you too Mercie!” Annette hugged her then hugged Sylvain. “Have you two been here for long?”

“Hmm, it doesn’t feel too long since we’ve been enjoying our time here. It’s a wonderful place Annie. You should see the beach here, it’s really nice.” Mercedes said.

“Can’t swim in it, but you can see the waves.” Sylvain said.

“Ingrid told me about it. I wonder if we can see it?” Annette asked.

“That all depends on Felix. Hey Felix! Do you think we can visit the beach? Annette wants to see it.” Sylvain said.

“It’s too cold to do anything else, we can look at it.” Felix said.

Sylvain grinned. “See? I had a feeling we would be able to see it.” 

Felix rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why you want to see it, it’s just the ocean.” 

“It’s really nice when the waves come in.” Ingrid said.

“If you say so. It just looks like water to me.” Felix said.

Ingrid opened her mouth to reply when Mercedes walked over and hugged her. She hugged her back with a smile. “It’s nice to see you too Mercedes!”

“I can’t believe we’re all together again like this. All we’re missing is Ashe, Dedue, Dimitri, and Byleth then it will really be a reunion.” Mercedes said.

“That would be a lot of fun.” Sylvain said.

“I guess it wouldn’t be too bad.” Felix said on his way inside. He looked out the corner of his eye to Annette happily talking with Sylvain about the places she visited with Ingrid. Finishing his work wouldn’t be too much of a chore with his friends not that far away. 

Once Ingrid and Annette settled into their rooms the day passed by before they knew it. Felix returned to his office to look at something while Sylvain, Ingrid, and Mercedes took Annette on a small tour of the castle. He placed the current request for more farming supplies to his urgent pile before he reached for Annette and Ingrid’s notes. He made a note to start focusing on magic, something that was his father’s expertise. His father did much more with magic than he imagined, especially after the notes he found in his father’s desk about the magic in their territory. 

Felix reached for another paper when he looked up at a knock on his door. “Yes? Oh, hey Annette, did you need anything?”

Annette shook her head. “Not right now.” She walked over to his desk. “It’s just that it’s dinner time. Are you going to join us?”

“I was going to look at a couple of things before I did.”

“Sylvain told me that you haven’t gone to dinner lately. Are you sure you can’t take a break?”

Felix wasn’t surprised that Sylvain told her that. He opened his mouth to deny it again when he saw the frown on her face, he knew he was beat. Felix placed the notes on the pile and got up. “I think it’s time for a break. I’ll be able to look at them with a clear head after I eat.” 

Annette smiled. “Yay! Great! I don’t know what they’re making in the kitchen, but it smells so good!”

“Probably one of Ingrid’s favorite meals. She has a lot of meat dishes that she loves to eat.” Felix said on their way out of his office.

“It’s going to be so good. Oh, your home is wonderful Felix! I love the room, it’s really nice. I think this place is bigger than my uncle’s house.”

“That’s a possibility. Isn’t your uncle’s home pretty big though.”

“Not like this! Wait, the gardens are about the same size. The sitting area reminds me of the one at our house too.”

“Did you get a chance to see everything?”

“Not yet, we got to see our rooms, the library, and a few other rooms. We were going to visit another room after we had tea, but we started talking then it was time for dinner.”

“...I can show you around tomorrow.”

“Really? That would be great! You got to show me your favorite spot and the places you guys used to play in when you were a kid. Sylvain told me you guys played hide and seek a lot here.”

“We did. Ingrid and Dimitri were pretty good at the game. I wasn’t too bad at it, Sylvain never had a set pattern; he either won sometimes or lost another. He was easier to find once he got taller.”

Annette giggled. “That sounded like a lot of fun.”

Felix and Annette continued to talk on their way to the dining room. Sylvain grinned when they walked in. “Well, well, look who’s joining us for dinner. I knew Annette would be able to bring you to dinner.”

“Oh! I only asked if he could join us, that's all.” Annette said. She gave a sheepish smile and looked over at Felix who was on his way out the door. “Wait, Felix, don’t leave! You just got here!”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Annette help each other with their problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for coming along with me on this journey. It's been awhile since I wrote a long fic like this so I'm really excited about it.
> 
> Thanks for the support everyone!

A few days into Annette and Ingrid’s visit, Felix fell into a new routine. He started eating breakfast in the morning before he went to his office to work on things for the day. Instead of drinking tea and eating a couple of crackers for lunch, Annette would nab him for lunch. Felix started going to the dining room for dinner after Annette started grabbing him for dinner. He didn’t notice the new routine. He knew that Annette would always come and get him whenever he didn’t eat anything. They would debate over it for a few minutes, until Felix would get up and join her. One time his stomach growled in front of her, the traitor, so he had to go. Well, that’s what he’s been telling Sylvain every time he bought it up. Mercedes would do the same when they had tea together at night, just a sign that Sylvain started to rub off on her. Still, he couldn’t deny that he did like eating with Annette or the way she would come get him. It helped when he needed a break too. He had one leader in the nearby town that wouldn’t budge on compromising on sharing a path used by another town. Felix spent a lot of time on it than he wanted to on it. 

One day Felix received a letter from him that stated he didn’t agree with the current compromise again. He placed the letter down with a groan and walked out of his office. He walked over to his favorite window that overlooked the garden as he glared out the window. 

“Man, what did that window do to you?”

“Not solving my problem. Did you need anything Annette?”

“I came over to ask if you wanted to join us for tea soon though I can see you’re pretty busy.” Annette walked over and stood next to him. “What’s got you so grumpy?” 

Felix sighed. “It’s this leader. There is a path that leads to the market that two towns use. There’s enough room for them to use it, but one of the leaders won’t budge. He’s been sending me letters about the issue and rejecting all my suggestions. I’m ready to just ignore him, but I’ve been advised not to do that. I’m running out of options and patience.”

“Hmm, why does he want to be the only one to use the path if it’s big enough for another town to use?”

“Cause it’s the closest one to his town and it’s easier to use during the winter. Many people try to get home quickly before it becomes colder. The snow can be a big problem too, so the path can get blocked when everyone tries to leave at the same time.”

“Is there a way to make another path? One that can be used during the winter time.”

“...Possibly if we move some things and get started on it soon it can be ready. That might work then I’ll be finished with this leader for now.” Felix pushed away from the wall. “How long will you guys be there?”

“For awhile Mercedes is going to bake something tasty so we can have it with us. Sylvain is gonna make his special blend. When you finish you can come join us!”

“Okay, I won’t take long.” Felix turned to walk down the hall. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Annette. “Thanks.”

Annette smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Felix gave a small smile in return, he turned back around and continued on to his office. Annette giggled on her way back to everyone. She loved whenever she got a chance to see Felix smile. She hoped she would be able to see that smile again soon.

*~*~*

Annette made good on her word and sent a letter to her parents the first day after she settled in Fraldarius territory. She wondered if she would get a response while during her stay or when she made it back to the capital. She hoped that everything was working out. A few days into their stay she received a letter from her parents. Annette read it in her room before breakfast, it looked like everything was working out fine, except her father going off to train the new recruits for days which meant her mom was alone again. Annette was glad that her mom made some friends, though she didn’t understand why her dad needed to spend so much time with the new recruits. It’s not like Dedue wasn’t there or the other captains. She wanted to be excited about the news, she did, but she felt discouraged instead. 

Felix waited for Annette to come by his office to remind him about breakfast when she didn’t come. He placed his current document down and made his way to the dining room. He stopped when he saw everyone, but Annette.

“Where’s Annette? Is she sick?” Felix asked.

Ingrid shook her head. “She got a letter from her parents today. She wanted some privacy to read it so I visited the horses before breakfast. I thought she would be here by now.”

“I’m preparing her favorite tea and some of her favorite pastries for breakfast. I hope Annie is okay. Maybe I should go check on her.” Mercedes said. She started to get up from the table when Felix shook his head. “I’m up, I’ll do it. I’ll let you know if she wants her food in her room today.”

Mercedes smiled. “Alright, let me go check on her tea.” She headed towards the kitchen as Sylvain and Ingrid turned to Felix. He did not like the knowing looks on their faces. He was only going to check up on her, that’s all!

Sylvain grinned. “You? Checking up on someone? This is truly a new age for Fodlan.”

“Sylvain! I think it’s sweet that Felix wants to see her.” Ingrid turned to Felix. “Let her know that we’ll be here in the dining room when she’s ready.”

Felix fought the urge to throw a napkin at Sylvain instead he nodded then turned back towards the doorway. “I’ll let her know.” He walked out the dining room and over to the stairs his mind running about the possibilities of what could happen. Was she sick? Should he send up the doctor? Did something happen with her magic? Was there something he needed to do to help? Then again Felix knew how stubborn Annette could be, would she want his help? Felix pushed down the rest of his wandering thoughts when he stopped at her door. He took a breath to calm his thoughts before he knocked on her door. “Annette? Are you okay?”

Felix knocked again when he didn’t hear anything on the other side. “Annette? Annette? Are you okay?” He waited and got ready to knock again when he heard shuffling on the other side of the door. “Just a minute!”

Felix waited for a few seconds before the door opened to Annette in a robe. She smoothed down her hair and turned to him. “Yes?”

“You didn’t come down for breakfast, everyone is wondering if you’re okay.”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just fell back to sleep after reading a letter from my father.”

“Is everything okay with your parents? Did you need to go visit them?”

Annette shook her head. “No, they’re fine, I just...I just thought he would spend more time with my mother now that they’re back at our family home. I guess I was wrong. Wait, let me show you.” She walked inside the room, grabbed the letter she placed on the desk, and walked back over to hand it to Felix. 

Felix’s frown grew while he read the letter. He remembered Gilbert when they were back at the monastery. All the times that Annette reached out to him just for him to walk away with some made up reason about why he had to go. At least his father would try to talk to him, not find an excuse to leave. He folded the letter back up and handed it to Annette. “It does sound like he’s using his duties to overwork on purpose.”

“I knew I didn’t misread it!” Annette leaned against the door with a sigh. “I thought things would be different now. I know that there is still a lot of work to be done in the kingdom, but it’s not like he’s alone or anything! I thought he was staying with my mother more often, not doing this! I don’t know. When I was back home I tried so hard to talk to my dad. It felt like we could never find a topic to talk about then when we did it was so awkward! I keep trying and trying to fix things, now I don’t know if I want to try anymore. What do you think I should do?”

Felix wished he could fight Gilbert right now. His blade wasn’t that dull yet, he could still challenge him to a duel then he would win. How could he go back doing the same thing? He looked over at Annette who quickly wiped her eyes. It was going to take a lot for Felix not to challenge Gilbert the next time he saw him again. Felix slowly reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. Annette stopped wiping her eyes and turned to hug him. Felix carefully placed his arms around her waist. He thought back to the ways his friends and father helped him when he was in tears he started to slowly rub her back. “I think that you should wait to see what happens. If you keep reaching out and it’s not working then step back for a bit. If he wants to talk to you then he will.”

“Do you think that would work?” Annette sniffed and wiped her eyes.

“I think so. If not then go on from there. It’s not worth stressing out over it like this.”

Annette nodded. “Okay, I’ll write back to him today, um maybe tomorrow. Thanks Felix, I really appreciate it.” She smiled and hugged him again.

Felix flushed as he hugged her back. “You’re welcome Annette.”

Sylvain watched from the staircase before he turned around to go back to the dining room. Mercedes and Ingrid looked up when he walked back in the room. 

“Is she alright?” Ingrid asked.

Sylvain smiled. “She’s doing just fine. She’ll be down with Felix in a bit.”

Mercedes and Ingrid shared a relieved smile. It looked like they didn’t have much to worry about.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette and Felix can't sleep it's the perfect time for them to talk. Felix receives an important letter from Dimitri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm really happy for the support!
> 
> Enjoy!

After a few days a new routine happened around the Fraldarius castle. Felix started the morning eating breakfast with Annette, Sylvain, and Ingrid then he went to his office to check over any incoming letters or any other treaties that he needed to look at. Sometimes when he needed to go over a treaty or a place that was close to the Gauiter territory or that dealt with magic or anything that needed another opinion he would grab them. It led to more breaks and exploring areas with Annette. Felix, Sylvain and Ingrid would show Mercedes and Annette the different areas that they played in when they were children. After the tour Felix would go back to work while Annette and Ingrid finished their jobs. Since the Fraldarius area was much bigger than the little towns Ingrid and Annette visited they would break up the areas one by one. They would gather the information, add things with Felix’s input, then go back and add to their notes before they went out to do it again. After work Mercedes would prepare tea with everyone’s favorite blends and sweets. Well, they would get something else for Felix. From there they would finish a few things, Felix would answer a couple of letters, until dinner. When they finished dinner Felix would sometimes train or go back to his office to see what he would need to work on in the morning. Then there were the days when he would listen to Annette sing around his office. 

Felix kept an eye on her after she mailed the letter to her father. He knew she was feeling better when she started to sing around the castle. She did familiar songs from when they were in the academy and some new songs that she came up with during her trip with Ingrid. Felix enjoyed every one. He knew that their friends couldn’t resist the urge to tease them. Well, Ingrid didn’t do it as much as Sylvain, but he was used to it even if it annoyed him to no end. Still, he could endure it if it meant getting to hear Annette sing and seeing her smile around the castle.

One night Felix wasn’t able to get any sleep. Unfortunately, that happened to be part of his routine too. He got up and walked over to his window that overlooked the garden when he ran into Annette. She looked over at him with a small smile. “Can’t sleep either?”

Felix shook his head. “I gave up after the third time.”

“I might make some tea soon. Mercie showed me the blend she uses to help her when she can’t go to sleep.”

“I’ve drank it before, it’s not bad.”

“I’m going to try it tonight.”

“I’ll drink some too.”

Annette nodded and turned back to the window while Felix stood next to her. It’s been one of the first times that they’ve been alone together. Well, besides the time Felix helped Annette by her room. They haven’t brought up what happened in the greenhouse even if they were more casual about their touches now. Annette sat close to Felix or Felix would put his hand on her shoulder sometimes when they were working through Annette’s notes. Felix didn’t know how to bring up what happened. Annette was in a similar spot where she didn’t know if he would want to bring it up. She figured he didn’t mind much since he hugged her. He was around when she started singing, so maybe he didn’t forget what happened in the greenhouse. Now how could she bring it up? While she was trying to figure out how she could do it Felix gently bumped her hand. 

“Hmm? Yes?”

“I know another spot that has a better view of the garden. Did you want to go there?” Felix asked as he tried to use the darkness in the hallway to hide his flush. 

Annette nodded with pink on her cheeks. “Yes, lead the way.”

Felix walked away from the window and down the hall with Annette next to him. Annette noticed how quiet it was at night, the wind providing the only sound sometimes, well except for some of the noises she heard. Ingrid told her it was due to the age of the castle, still it didn’t soothe Annette. She tried not to jump with every little sound she heard, but it was hard! After the next big sound she reached for Felix’s arm. 

“Hey! What’s wrong?” Felix asked. His blush returned darker than before.

“Why does this castle make so much noise?” Annette said.

“We’re the one making noise now!”

“Then let’s hurry and get to that place where we can see the garden!”

“Fine, if you hold on to me we’ll get there faster. Okay?”

“Okay!”

Felix pulled her closer along the way. He didn’t want them to wake up anyone, but he really enjoyed the way she held onto him too. They climbed up the stairs to a small room on the second floor that gave a larger view of the garden. Felix closed the door behind them once they were inside. Annette sighed in relief and placed her hand against her chest. “I’m glad we’re here. I don’t know much more my heart could take.”

“Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of ghosts.”

“Well, they’re scary! It’s not like I want to fight them, but I don’t want to see them either! What would you do if there was a ghost here?”

“Fight them so it doesn’t get to you.”

“...Oh...really? You would?”

Felix didn’t realize what he said, until it came back to him. His brain was just too tired for this! “Yes, cause I don’t know if the ghost would hurt you so I would fight them.” He didn’t know if it was possible to fight a ghost, he would figure out a way.

“I guess I don’t have to worry about ghosts when you’re around.” Annette smiled and leaned against him. “Thanks.”

Felix flushed as he slowly placed his arm around her shoulder. “No problem.”

Annette relaxed against Felix’s side with a soft hum. Felix eased them over to the couch closest to the window that overlooked more of the garden. The way the moon shone over the plants was beautiful, though it didn’t match the way Annette’s eyes shined when she saw it. Felix looked down at her, the way she pressed against his side, and how relaxed she looked. It reminded him of the last day they spent together before they left the monastery. When they kissed in the greenhouse then spent the rest of the day talking and eating their meals together. 

He didn’t think he would ever be this open with someone. Their friends always talked about how it felt to fall in love. That it would be something he wouldn’t notice, until he was with the person he loved. He did feel better since Annette has been around. He wasn’t looking forward to her leaving again either. Maybe he would be able to find a job for her here that put her magical talents to use, so she wouldn’t be gone for too long again. Felix can’t believe he was already thinking about what would happen in the future when there were so many things to think about in the present. Felix left his thoughts when Annette stirred next to him. 

“Opps, dozed off for a bit there.”

“I thought you couldn’t get any sleep.”

“I know that! There’s something I wanted to tell you since we’re alone.”

“What is it?”

Annette reluctantly left his side as she looked up at him. It was hard for her to focus since Felix had his hair down, but she had to push through. “Um, Ingrid saw us that day in the greenhouse. When we...you know…”

Felix flushed as he grumbled under his breath. “She never told me! At least she’s been quiet about it cause Sylvain would have definitely told me about it. So, what did she say?”

“She wondered if we were dating then. I told her we weren’t, I was just so happy to see that you were okay. When you passed out after our last battle it really scared me. I thought I lost you.” Annette stared down at her hands as she bit her lip. 

Felix remembered bits and pieces after the last battle. He didn’t realize he sustained such a deep wound, until he saw the blood on the floor that didn’t belong to one of their enemies. He made it long enough to get to Mercedes before he passed out. When he came around Manuela let him know that he had been sleeping for four days. The stress from everything came to a head when he was wounded. The only thing that kept him going was adrenaline and determination to see it through to the end. He didn’t realize how many people he worried when he passed out. He didn’t realize how much he worried Annette. 

Felix gently took her chin and tipped her head up. “I wasn’t going to leave so soon. I’m still here, I’m not going anywhere.”

Annette smiled. “I’m glad.”

Felix returned it as he starred in her eyes. She was so beautiful, so strong, he wanted her to stay with him much longer this time. Annette flushed as she placed her hand over his own. There were other things she wanted to ask him that couldn’t come to mind, not when he was staring at her with such soft eyes. She closed her eyes when he leaned in and met him halfway in the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his arms around her waist. 

They could put a name to what they had later. 

That night they spent time talking to each other and sharing kisses, until they fell asleep.

*~*~*

After that night their relationship changed. Felix wondered if he was slowly courting Annette with the ways things were going, it looked like it was going well. Felix ate more often with everyone, took more breaks when he got frustrated, and finished up work earlier in the day. He started to take walks with Annette and their friends. He started joining them for tea, horseback riding, and sometimes for games. Felix, Ingrid, Sylvain, and Annette agreed that they would take turns playing board games since they get very competitive. Mercedes had a lot of fun watching them, she had even more fun when she would win. 

At night Felix and Annette ended up spending much of their time together. On the nights when the memory of his father wouldn’t leave his mind he would listen to her hum one of her songs to help him calm down. Felix didn’t know what was worst, the dreams where they were together again or the nightmares about the war. On the nights when Annette couldn’t get any sleep, Felix would listen to her talk about her frustrations. Sometimes it would be about her nightmares, other times it would be about someone she faced in town, or sometimes it would be about a thought about the future that wouldn’t leave her mind. He didn’t mind listening to her, he couldn’t carry a tune, but he could hold her. 

Ingrid was close to finishing up her reports for Dimitri along with the magic reports Annette complied. It wouldn’t be long before Ingrid would be off to see the next town maybe with Annette or Sylvan and Mercedes or all of them would join her, leaving Felix alone. He tried not to think about it too much when he added his notes to the reports. He knew it wouldn’t be the last time he would see his friends. He could adjust to not having as many people around when they left. It wouldn’t be easy, but he could do it. 

One day while Felix was going over one of the reports with Annette and Ingrid, Laurent walked into the room. “Excuse me, I have an important announcement from His Highness.”

“What is so important that he couldn’t just send it in a regular letter?” Felix asked.

“The messenger told me that it is of the utmost importance that His Highness has an answer immediately.” Laurent said.

“Very well, give it here.”

Laurent handed Felix the letter, he nodded at Annette and Ingrid on his way out of the room. 

“Let’s see what his highness wants.” Felix said as he opened the letter. He read a few lines before he scoffed. “A ball? That’s what he wants an answer about.”

“A ball? I haven’t been to those in a long time.” Sylvain said.

“How long have you been listening?” Felix asked.

Sylvain grinned. “We got curious after we saw Dimitri’s messenger.” 

Mercedes smiled as she waved and walked in the room. “So, what does it say?”

“Let’s see, Dimitri is going to be holding a ball to celebrate the new alliance with the Almyran and Brigid kingdoms. We’re cordially invited to go on behalf of the king. He could have just put this in a regular letter not something as intricate as this. I mean look at this invitation, it’s much more extravagant than I expected. Well, he’s expecting an immediate response so what does everyone want to do?” Felix asked.

“We haven’t been to a ball in the palace in a long time I’m definitely going. We get to see Dimitri, Dedue, and Byleth again.” Sylvain said.

Mercedes nodded. “A ball sounds like a lot of fun. It would be great to see them again.”

“I would love to go! I want to see everyone again!” Annette said.

Ingrid smiled. “It would be great to have a break. I can give him our reports then have some fun before going off to the next town. I’m looking forward to it.” 

“I guess I have no choice since I’ll be expected to go being the new leader of the territory. Alright, let me give our answer, I’m sure the messenger is still waiting.” Felix got up and walked out of the office. 

Annette happily clapped her hands together. “I’m so excited! I haven’t been to a ball since we were at the monastery! Oh, this will be my first time visiting the palace too! What is it like? Did you guys spend a lot of time with His Highness there?”

“We did. I remember playing in the huge garden that they have that we ended up getting lost so many times. One time we spent time looking for Felix cause we lost him in the maze of flowers. He cried so much when we found him.” Sylvain said.

“We were all crying! We really thought we had lost Felix. We didn’t know what to tell his dad and Dimitri pushed all of us to keep going.” Ingrid said.

“Of all the stories to tell about going over there it had to be that one. Why am I not surprised?” Felix scoffed on his way inside. 

Sylvain snickered. “How could I ever forget that day? Hey Felix, do you remember when we would get so many snacks every time we went into the kitchen?”

Felix nodded. “I do. The chefs always had a tray ready for us with all our favorites. Ingrid would go in and get extra.”

“They always had yummy food there! I remember spending time in the kitchen too. My father thought it would be a good idea for me to learn how to cook at the palace. After the third fire I made I ended up watching how to cook more than trying to use the oven.” Ingrid laughed. “That was a great day. Oh Mercedes it’s going to be your first time there too, won’t it?”

Mercedes nodded. “It will. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

“Me too! It sounds like it’s going to be really fun. What do you think Felix?” Annette asked.

“It wouldn’t be bad to go see the palace. I’m caught up with everything so I can afford to go there for a few days. We can see how many changes Dimitri has made.” Felix said. He frowned at the look of surprise on Ingrid and Sylvain’s faces. “What!?”

“We thought you were going to say that you weren’t looking forward to it. You actually want to go see Dimitri again? I thought you would only want to go for the training hall. You’re changing every day Felix.” Sylvain said.

Ingrid smiled. “I’m glad you want to see Dimitri again.” 

“Have you two forgotten that he’s the _king?_ I’d have to see him eventually.” Felix said. Sylvain and Ingrid noticed that his words didn’t carry the bite that they were used to. They grinned over at him which made him flush a little and turn away. So, maybe he was a little excited to see his friends again. There was nothing wrong with that!

Annette giggled. “I’m so excited I’m ready to pack now!”

Mercedes smiled. “Me too!”

When everyone started to talk about the ball Felix placed his work to the side. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything finished, he decided to sit back and listen to the plans everyone had when they were in the capital city. The last time he visited the capital city it was with his father before he returned to the monastery. He didn’t think he would visit it anytime soon. He’s glad that he didn’t have to return alone. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions are reunited once again at the kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Now we're getting into the thick of things. Hope everyone is enjoying the ride!

The days leading up to their trip to the capital city were busy. Felix sent notice to the leaders that he would be away for a few days in the capital city visiting the king. Hopefully, he would be able to learn more about the current state of Brigid and Almyra, two places that Dimitri wanted to extend their hand in peace. Ingrid finished up the last of her reports and Annette gathered the last bits of information about magic in the surrounding area. She wanted to come back and do another check on the areas that she might have missed the first time around. Felix found no problems with that plan. Once they had everything finished along with Sylvain’s report about how the Gautier region could help the area, they packed up, and were off to the capital city. It didn’t take them long to reach the capital city or maybe it felt like that since Felix wasn’t dreading the trip for once. 

He looked over at Annette who pointed out the different sites with Mercedes. Annette hadn’t been to the capital city since she attended the Royal School of Sorcery. There were so many things that changed while other things stayed the same. She was surprised about the buildings that were still up after the war, though it was good to see that the capital city didn’t sustain that many damages. She wanted to visit the school to see if any of her old professors were there, maybe see any new magical techniques, but one thing at a time.

When they approached the royal castle Annette tried her best to keep her composure, but she never saw the royal castle in person before. It was much bigger than anything she’s seen with lush gardens on the side, a grand sweeping staircase in the entrance, and pegasus knights that flew over to land on the side of the entrance. 

“I think that welcome is for you.” Sylvain smiled over at Ingrid.

Ingrid shook her head. “They’re very sweet. They know they didn’t have to do this.” She tried to look serious, though she couldn’t resist as she fondly looked out the window.

Felix remembered the times his father would be chattering about some topic he wanted to bring up with Dimitri’s dad before letting him go off to play. He wondered if the place his father always liked to sit in the castle was still around. He left his thoughts when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Are you going to show me your favorite places here?” Annette asked.

Felix nodded. “I’m sure they’re still around.” He secretly thanked her for helping him get out of his head. He didn’t have time to think more when the carriage stopped. Felix stepped out and looked over to see Dimitri, Byleth, and Dedue standing on the steps.

“Wow, a personal welcome from the king himself. What an honor!” Sylvain joked on his way over.

“I would be a bad host if I didn’t greet my guests. Welcome everyone! We’re happy to see that you made it safely.” Dimitri said. He walked over with Byleth and Dedue who waved with them.

“Does the king have time to do this?” Felix asked.

Dimitri laughed. “I do, I do, I made sure to have time today. Oh! There is a surprise I have for you, one second.” He walked back up the stairs and inside. Felix looked over at Byleth who looked excited then over at Dedue who looked happier than he ever saw. He didn’t have to think about the surprise for long when Dimitri returned. 

“Okay, they’re here, you can come out now.” Dimitri said. He stepped aside to reveal Ashe. 

“Ashe!” Everyone shouted as Ashe smiled and jogged down the stairs.

“Hi everyone! I’m so happy to see you!” Ashe laughed when Annette got to him first and wrapped him in a hug.

“We haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?” Annette asked.

“I’m fine. I’ve just been settling here in the capital while I think about my next move.” Ashe said.

Mercedes smiled. “This is great we’re all here together again.”

“We definitely got to show you the best spots Ashe! It’s been too long since we had a drink together!” Sylvain said as he clapped Ashe on the back.

“I look forward to it, Sylvain. Hey Felix! How are you?” Ashe asked.

“I’m fine. I will say this is truly a surprise I didn’t know you would be joining us.” Felix said.

“Me either! I was very surprised to receive an invitation for the ball. I didn’t think I counted.” Ashe said.

“You’re going on behalf of House Gaspard; there are no rules that say I was overstepping my bounds.” Dimitri couldn’t keep the small grin off his face as Byleth giggled next to him. “We felt that it was a good idea to welcome noble houses for the first ball.”

“It is very good to see you all again. It has been quite some time.” Dedue smiled.

“Good to see you Dedue! We have to have tea soon so we can catch up!” Annette said.

Dedue nodded. “I would like that. We should be able to have tea once everyone has settled into their rooms. I believe we should have time for that.”

“Yes, my meeting starts later this afternoon. It shouldn’t take too long so I should be able to join you all for dinner. Oh, let’s get inside, I'm sure you all want to rest after your journey. We’ll show you the rooms where you all will be staying. From there we can give Annette, Mercedes, and Ashe a tour of the castle. Sylvain, Ingrid, Felix, if there are places where you want to go you’re more than welcome to lead the way.” Dimitri said.

“There are so many places to see, I don’t know where to start.” Sylvain said on their way up the stairs.

Felix fell to the back of the group as he watched his friends talk and joke with each other. To think that he would be able to see this group of people that he cared so much about all together again after the war felt like a dream. He never imagined he would be able to see everyone in one piece again, especially after that last battle, but they made it through together. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be happy that all his friends were together. Felix looked over when he heard a chuckle from Dedue.

“Yes?” Felix asked.

“I believe this is the first time I’ve seen you go so long without a frown on your face.” Dedue said.

“I can say the same to you.”

Dedue said with a small upturn of his lips. “Are you going to give a tour?”

Felix returned it. “We’ll see.” 

Dedue chuckled again as he followed everyone towards their rooms. It didn’t take too long for everyone to get settled in their rooms. Felix and Ashe would share a room since it was big enough for two people to have their own things on the side. Sylvain and Mercedes had a room, Ingrid already had a room in the castle, though she opted to share one with Annette while she was here. After everyone got their rooms Dimitri took them on a tour of the castle. Annette couldn’t believe that she was inside the royal castle! Everything looked much bigger than she ever imagined. There were sweeping floors, high ceilings, artwork of Dimitri, his father, and even Loog the famous knight of legend. Once they finished the floor with their rooms, Dimitri took them to the kitchen for a lunch break. Annette didn’t realize the last time she ate, until her stomach reminded her. She could have sworn she saw Felix grin out the corner of her eye, though she couldn’t be too sure. Another thing she noticed when they sat down in the dining room, the way it looked like Sylvain made sure that she sat next to Felix. Were they that obvious? Luckily, she could ignore that knowing look in his eyes with food.

“This place is amazing. I can’t believe we’ve already seen so much and it’s not finished yet.” Mercedes said.

“We still have a long way to go. There’s the gardens, the library, the ballroom that overlooks the garden, and I can keep going. Felix, are there any places you want to see?” Sylvain asked.

“It looks like we’re going to cover everything by time we leave. We have time, it’s not like we’re going to be leaving tomorrow.” Felix said.

“He’s right. Don’t we have to prepare for the ball too?” Ingrid said.

Dimitri nodded. “Yes that’s right. The seamstresses have been busy making different dresses for the occasion based on everyone’s measurements. You’re welcome to visit them if there are any changes that need to be made. I will let them know that everyone is here.” 

“I’m really looking forward to the ball. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a dance, well besides my first one at the monastery. Everyone looked so cute I can’t wait to see what everyone wears to the ball.” Byleth said.

“It will be great to relax and have some fun.” Sylvain said. “I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen.”

“The only saving grace is now that Mercedes is here. I don’t have to see you talk to everyone that walks.” Felix said.

Sylvain laughed. “Why would I want to talk to everyone when I’ll have a beautiful date with me?” He gently took Mercedes’ hand and kissed it.

Mercedes giggled. “Still quite the charmer.”

“Of course, but since we’re on the topic who is everyone going to the ball with? I have my beautiful date and I know who Dimitri is going with.” Sylvain looked over at Byleth and Dimitri who really hadn’t left each other’s side since everyone else arrived at the castle. “What about you Dedue?”

Dedue looked at Ashe out the corner of his eye. “I will be busy overseeing things, so I do not have a date.”

“I’m sure there’s someone out there who would love to go to the ball with you!” Sylvain exclaimed as he looked at Ashe who happened to look out the window with a flush across his cheeks. 

Ashe cleared his throat. “Oh, I’m sure about that too. I don’t have anyone either. I'm just happy to be here.”

“Don’t feel bad I don’t have a date either. I’m sure there will be someone who will try to dance with me. I’m going to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch.” Ingrid said.

“Well, then that leaves you Felix. Who are you going to the ball with?” Sylvain asked.

If Sylvain was close enough he would use his fork and throw it in that smiling face. Since he was trying to keep his good manners in the dining room. He looked around to see everyone looking at them with various amusement expressions on their faces. Scratched what he felt earlier he wanted to get them all! With the exception of Ashe, he still had a soft spot for the archer.

“If you must know since this information is so important then yes I will not be going to the ball alone. I do have a date. Since you’re so curious yes she’s in the room and we’ll be going together.” Felix said.

Annette flushed as she messed with her fingers under the table. Sure, she knew they were going together, but it was different when they announced it! She cleared her throat when a few pairs of eyes turned to her. “Yes! Yes we’re going together! So, we’ll be walking in together!” She really hoped that she wouldn’t trip that night.

“Oh? Really? That’s wonderful news!” Dimitri smiled. “The ball will be much more exciting with everyone here. My apologies for not writing as often as I would have liked. I’ve been very busy. By the time I get a chance to write I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say.”

“We’re all here now, it's a perfect time to catch up. So, what has everyone been up to?” Byleth asked.

Ashe started first, he talked about reuniting with his siblings before he visited Lonato’s castle. He didn’t know if he wanted to be a knight or what he wanted to do with the land Lonato left behind. He took his siblings to visit the kingdom while he decided on Dimitri’s offer to be knighted. He worked in one of the restaurants in the kingdom before he came to any decision. After Ashe finished Byleth talked about her new duties as the archbishop. Currently they were cleaning up the area around Garrech Mach before they started up their repair plans for the school. When she wasn’t busy with her work with the school, she was home in the kingdom with Dimitri. Dedue continued his duties working alongside Dimitri while they were rebuilding the kingdom. He had a garden that he took care of during his breaks that would be another stop on their tour. Dimitri couldn’t talk much about their plans since many things were still up in the air, but he did mention how he was happy to have the leaders of Almyra and Brigid come visit for a peace agreement. 

They continued their peaceful conversations throughout lunch. Felix never imagined they would be able to have a time like this. He wondered what his father would say about this moment. Once lunch finished they continued their tour. Dimitri moved on to show the sitting rooms where they would have tea later on. As they walked through the castle Felix remembered the times they played hide and seek inside when it was too cold out. The gardens where he would get lost in, yet his father always knew where to find him. The times when Glenn would join their games before he had to go off for training. Felix had as many memories about the Blayidd castle as he did his own home. 

On the next stop on their tour Dimitri stopped in front of the entrance of the gardens. “I am sorry my friends this is where I have to leave you. I have a meeting to attend, I will be back in time for dinner. You’re welcome to explore any part of the castle. I believe the only place that’s off limits is the ballroom for now. Enjoy yourselves, I will see you at dinner.” He waved at everyone, leaned down to kiss Byleth’s cheek, then walked away from the group. 

Byleth smiled as she clapped her hands together. “Alright everyone we can go to the garden then we can take a break from there. Dedue has a wonderful spot that he’s been tending to that you all should see.”

“I don’t believe it is that amazing. You are free to check it out and decide for yourselves.” Dedue said on the way inside the garden. 

Felix walked in behind Ashe and Mercedes when he felt a bump against his arm. He looked over to see Sylvain next to him and looked away. Sylvain laughed. “Are you still mad about lunch?”

“Yes, I wasn’t expecting to make an announcement in front of everyone.” Felix hissed.

“Even though it’s so obvious…”

“Watch it…”

“Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t know it was going to be a surprise. I promise I won’t let anyone else know, okay?”

“Okay, you better not or I will hit you.” 

Sylvain chuckled. “Of course.”

Felix grumbled under his breath. He knew that no matter how many times he wanted to hit that smug face Sylvain still looked out for him. How can he be so reliable, yet so annoying?

“So, are you two sharing a room?”

“That’s it we’re going to the training room.”

“I’m kidding!”

Their first night in the castle ended on a peaceful note. They had dinner with Dimitri, enjoyed tea with each other, then ended the night playing board games. It reminded Felix of the times when they had free time back at the monastery. He didn’t expect to be so calm when he got here. He slowly repaired his relationship with Dimitri, so it couldn’t be being in the castle with him again. It’s not like he was alone either and he didn’t have so many things weighing on his shoulders. Maybe that’s the reason why he was so calm. He wasn’t back home so he didn’t have to worry about the mounting duties that came with his position as duke. He wouldn’t accidentally find another note his dad left or a letter. He wouldn’t walk by the various pictures of his father while he walked along the halls. Everything still felt too new sometimes, but the break from his castle was something he needed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix helps Annette when she's not having a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I had a lot of fun writing these Felix and Annette moments. It's been awhile since a couple took over my attention like this. Hope you're enjoying it!

Their second day went similarly to the first, except the meetings he had to join where Dimitri introduced him as the new Duke to his advisors. It felt odd to be standing in the same place as his father, but it had to happen sooner or later. After the meeting Felix visited the training hall to release some steam. He had a chance to train at home, though not the way he wanted to. Maybe being back in the Blaiddyd castle again had its perks. Once he finished training he walked towards the kitchen when he saw Annette walking behind Gilbert. 

“But you said that after the last meeting. Are you sure you’ll have time after this one?” Annette asked.

Gilbert nodded. “I promise I will.” He stopped and turned to her as he gave his best reassuring smile. “I will definitely have lunch with you once I’m done. We’ll catch up then, okay?”

Annette nodded. “Alright, I’ll be waiting in the sitting room that’s close to the gardens with Mercedes. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.” Gilbert said. He continued on his way to the meeting while Annette walked back the opposite way as she wiped her eyes. Felix couldn’t watch anymore. He quickly walked over and joined Annette. “Hey, did you have lunch yet?”

“Felix! Don’t just sneak up on someone like that!” Annette exclaimed. She shook her head and quickly wiped her eyes. “No! I was going to meet with Mercedes, why?”

“I’m going to get something to eat. I only ask cause I’m on my way to the kitchen. Did you want anything?”

“Well, I was going to wait for my father…” Annette sighed. “Maybe I can get something small. Oh! Or something for me and Mercedes since we’re going to be in the garden. Are you going to join us?”

“Maybe later, after I spar with Dedue.”

“We’re not fighting anymore, you don’t have to train so much!”

“Always have to be prepared.”

“You need to take a break.”

“I’ll take a break after I finish training for the day. I don’t have time anymore when I’m back home.”

“Taking a break isn’t a bad thing you know.”

“Says you.”

Annette and Felix continued their conversation all the way to the kitchen. Felix smirked when Annette started fussing at him about how her magic was still top notch. He noticed that she stopped crying and the little smile she tried not to show too. Now he would be able to go on with his day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the ball is here. Felix and Annette find a chance to spend time together, meet the new rulers of Almyra and Brigid, and enjoy time with their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! In this chapter we get to see the beautiful art work from [Natalie](https://twitter.com/NNelsonArt)! It's so nice please show her some love! Thank you for reading!
> 
> Enjoy!

The ball happened on the night of the third day of their stay. Nobles from the surrounding areas would be entering the castle at night who would be greeted by Ingrid and Gilbert since they were leaders of the knights. Byleth let them know that everyone in the castle had been excited about a ball that they were preparing for it for weeks now. The nobles would leave the kingdom the day after while Felix and the others would stay a little longer. Felix had a feeling Dimitri was leaning on his powers a little more than necessary. He would bring it up to Dimitri later after their vacation.

Felix had been a little on edge since the day started. He hasn’t been to a ball since he was a child. Not to mention this would be his first formal introduction as the Duke of Fraldarius. He would have to dance in front of people, make small talk, and be introduced to other nobles who would bring up his father. Then he would have to stay polite throughout the whole night, well as polite as he can. He tried not to think about how annoyed he would be during the night. 

Annette really looked forward to the ball. The last time she attended a ball it was when they were still students in the academy. Now they could enjoy it without having a war hanging over their heads. She wondered if she would be introduced with Felix or would people ask her about her magic. Dimitri let her know that there were other mages who heard about the spells she used during the war. They saw the notes that she wrote about the magic in different areas that they wanted to talk to her to see her opinion about it. She never imagined her notes would lead to meeting top mages in the kingdom! She really, really hoped she wouldn’t trip over anything. She carried a couple of skirts along for practice. The last thing she wanted to do was trip or do anything embarrassing tonight! She hoped she would be able to dance with Felix. She knew how much he didn’t like things like this. 

Everyone around them were happily talking about how the night would go. Dimitri told them now that he would enter first with Byleth and Dedue, then Felix, the Sylvain, and Ingrid would come in after with the knights. Annette wished she wasn’t nervous about walking in with Felix. Mercedes was so calm! She hoped that some of that calm would rub off on her. The day seemed to disappear more quickly than they imagined. It wasn’t long before everyone left the sitting room to go get ready for the ball.

It didn’t take Felix no time at all to get ready. He frowned at his reflection in the mirror. He had on the same uniform that his father wore, the one that had been passed down their family for generations. He still didn’t feel right wearing it. Felix looked for ways that he could change it where it wouldn’t look too different. He decided on taking off the cape that made the outfit more bearable to wear. Felix adjusted the sleeves, put on the gloves, tied up his hair, and left the room. He walked down the stairs, towards the ballroom and stood next to Sylvain.

Sylvain grinned over at him. “Hey! The uniform doesn’t look bad Felix.”

“It’s still odd to wear. Isn’t there anything else I can wear?” Felix asked as he adjusted the sleeve again. 

“We have to wear these clothes, remember? It would cause a scandal if you didn’t wear the uniform. Are you sure you’re ready to handle your first scandal?”

“No. I’m not in the mood to hear anything from anyone.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure no one else will notice. So, are you ready to walk in with Annette?”

“Yes, I don’t want to hear anyone’s questions about that either.” Felix hated how quickly his blush returned. Why now of all times?

“It looks like you’re excited.”

“It looks like you should worry about something else.”

Sylvain laughed. “Alright, alright, there is the rest of the night after all. Hey Dimitri! Looking very nice, your highness.”

Dimitri smiled as he smoothed down the arm of the jacket. “Thank you Sylvain. I know this is the formal uniform, though it is quite stifling isn’t it?”

“Finally something we can agree on.” Felix said.

Dimitri chuckled. “I see. Now I’ve been told that the guests are arriving along with many of the nobles in the area. It will be time for us to walk in soon.”

“Oh good, then we didn’t miss it.” Byleth said. She wore a sleeveless, sweeping white dress with the archbishop headdress and cloak around her shoulders. It looked much like what she wore at the monastery; the difference was the lack of gloves and small jewels at the hem of the dress. Dimitri flushed as he walked over to her. “My beloved, you look stunning.”

Byleth smiled. “Thank you Dimitri. Everyone looks very handsome here as well. We finished dressing so Annette, Mercedes, and Ingrid will be here soon. Oh, here they come.” She turned and gestured to Mercedes, Annette, and Ingrid who were slowly coming down the stairs. Mercedes wore a short sleeved red gown with black shawl. Ingrid had on a dark green long sleeved gown with white gloves and her hair in loose curls around her face. Annette wore a sleeveless, sweeping blue gown that dipped in the back with a matching loosely tied knot in the back. She wore white evening gloves that went up along her arm. Her hair was loose and tucked behind her ear that bounced softly as she slowly walked down the stairs.

Felix’s eyes widened as he watched her. It looked like she was gliding the way the dress hid her matching blue shoes. She was beautiful, so beautiful he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He knew that his friends were looking at him, but he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Annette. He walked over to the end of the stairs and waited for her to reach the end. Felix held out his hand to help her down the last few steps. 

Annette smiled as she stopped in front of him. “Thank you Felix.”

Felix nodded. “You’re welcome.” She was even prettier up close, especially the way the dress complimented her beautiful blue eyes.

Annette flushed as she looked over Felix’s uniform. She knew he would be wearing his father’s uniform, but she never imagined how good it would look on him. It looked better on him without the cape, though he looked amazing. They were so focused in their little world they barely heard Dimitri call for them. 

“Felix? Annette? It’s time.” Dimitri said.

“Alright,” Felix nodded over at Dimitri. He turned back to Annette, he hadn’t let go of her hand yet. “Are you ready?”

Annette smiled. “As I’ll ever be.” 

Felix and Annette joined the others in line as the grand doors of the castle opened in front of them. Dimitri and Byleth walked in first, then Felix and Annette walked in after them, with Mercedes and Sylvain bringing up the rear. They were all introduced along with Dedue, Ingrid, and Gilbert. Annette squeezed Felix’s hand when she heard her dad’s name. She didn’t want to think about how difficult it had been for them to catch up. Annette relaxed when Felix squeezed her hand back. It would be fine, she would be able to do this. After the introductions finished, Dimitri welcomed everyone to the castle and started the ball. Annette and Felix joined the other nobles in a dance to open the ball. They stayed for two dances before going off to the side to take a break. 

“Everything is so nice in here! They really did a great job decorating.” Annette said.

“It’s not bad. I’m surprised they managed to put it all together as fast as they did.” Felix said.

“What? Felix you don’t find anything wrong with the decorations? I’m shocked.” Sylvain said as he walked over with Mercedes. 

“I’m shocked that you’re not talking to more nobles. Aren’t you known for being chatty?” Felix asked.

“We have the rest of the night after all.” Sylvain said.

“Ahh good you’re all here. I’d like to introduce to you the King of Almyra and the Queen of Brigid.” Dimitri said.

“You always know how to introduce people, Dimitri.” Claude said.

Petra smiled. “It is a nice welcome.” 

“Claude! Petra! It’s been awhile since we’ve seen you two. Dimitri why didn’t you tell us who we were meeting?” Sylvain asked.

“I wanted to let you know, but Claude wanted it to be a surprise.” Dimitri said.

Claude grinned. “It’s not officially news in Fodlan yet, so we wanted to make our appearance here.”

“I am happy to be seeing you all. How are you?” Petra asked. 

Felix remembered when she joined their side along with Dorothea during the war. A few other people joined them from the former Black Eagles class, more than he thought. Then there was Claude who’s class had joined them after Dimitri saved him. He could never get a clear reading off the guy, though he figured if Dimitri, Byleth, and Annette trusted him then he wasn’t that bad. Annette couldn’t forget the way Claude tried to decode her songs. There really wasn’t anything to decode! Still, she couldn’t believe how hard he tried, though she had to admit that he did get a lot of folk tales about Faerghus correct. Petra was such a sweetheart and she loved to watch her train. In turn Annette would show her some of the spells she learned. She liked that they could meet up again and talk during such a peaceful time. After they caught up with Petra and Claude a few mages wanted to talk to Annette about her notes while a couple of nobles wanted to talk to Felix. 

They spent the night going from person to person, introducing themselves or explaining something that they wanted to know. Ingrid, Dimitri, and Sylvain took turns standing next to Felix whenever one of the older nobles would bring up his father. Felix did his best to be polite though there were times where some statements carried a bite behind them. Sylvain would make a joke to keep the peace. Ingrid would change the subject and Dimitri would mention something about the contributions the Kingdom made to Garrech Mach. After the third time Felix couldn’t take it anymore. He finished the drink in his hand before he walked over to the balcony. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the ledge. 

Felix took a few breaths to calm down. Why did every noble have to say the same thing? Yes, he knew his dad took great care of their area. Yes, he knew that his father had a lot of things that were in the beginning stages before he met his untimely end. Yes, he missed his father, but he wasn’t going to say it to people who only saw the Duke they wanted to see. He grumbled as he looked around. The balcony didn’t seem so big anymore. 

He could see the gardens below and the trees that grew high enough for him to see it. The other parts of the castle and the rooms on the other side. He looked up to see the moon shining bright along with the stars that decorated the night sky. The thing that has changed was the pattern of the floor below his feet. It was different from the one he saw when he was a child, though it had been quite some time since he’s been here. Things were bound to change. Felix enjoyed the breeze when the door opened behind him.

“I’m not going back yet, so go let his highness know.”

“Last time I checked you are perfectly capable of telling him that.”

Felix turned around to Annette, who closed the door and walked over to join him. “I wondered where you disappeared to. Are you okay?”

“I just needed a break. After the last guy I nearly lost my temper. Things would have been worst if Ingrid wasn’t there.”

“It is pretty overwhelming. There were so many people asking me questions that it became too hard to keep track of them. It looked like we had the same idea.”

“It’s just easier to avoid them from here.”

“Sure,” Annette giggled. She looked around at the balcony as she slowly walked around. “This place is so beautiful. You can even see the garden from here! Oh, look at those stars! The moon is so bright tonight! This is such a beautiful night. What do you think?”

“It’s nice,” Felix walked over then stood next to her. “Are you going to find a constellation?”

“Maybe! Once the ball is over, you know we’ve only shared one dance since we’ve been here. Do you want to dance?”

“I do.”

“Great, we’ll have to say goodbye to this wonderful view though.”

“We won’t have to.”

“Why?”

“Cause there’s enough room to dance here.” Felix stepped back, he offered his hand with a smile. “May I have this dance?”

Annette’s heart fluttered from that smile. Did Felix know how handsome he looked when he smiled? She returned it as she accepted his hand. “I would love to.”

Felix placed his hand on her back, Annette placed her hand on his shoulder, they looked at each other as they slowly started to dance. The moon brought out the brightness in Annette’s eyes, Felix couldn’t look away. The stars provided enough light to see Felix’s face. The music sounded a little bit louder, though they didn’t think much of it. They were too busy enjoying their dance.

Sylvain opened the door far enough for the music to be heard after he saw them dancing on the balcony. He pulled the curtains closer so many people wouldn’t see them. 

“Has Felix calmed down?” Dimitri asked. 

Sylvain nodded. “Yep! He’s a bit busy so I don’t think he’ll be coming back to talk for awhile.”

Dimitri chuckled. “I see. Well, let us enjoy the rest of our evening.”

Sylvain smiled. “Sounds good, your highness,” He walked with Dimitri to join Byleth and Mercedes. They didn’t have to worry, it looked like Felix managed to calm down. 

Felix and Annette enjoyed their dance, until the music ended. However, when the music ended they didn’t step away. Felix eased Annette over to the darker side of the balcony. He placed his arms around her waist and pressed his face against her neck. Annette’s heart pounded at doing something so intimate when there were guests that could walk in any minute. Then again she remembered the older nobles who bought up countless stories about his father. Well, even the strongest person would get worn down, Felix was no exception. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. 

“Let me know when you’re ready to go back inside.”

“...I will.”

Annette softly hummed to him, until Felix was ready to go back inside.

The rest of the ball continued on without any troubles. Well, there was the noble that Felix nearly challenged, though he managed to calm down before it happened. Towards the end of the night Dimitri called for everyone’s attention.

“Thank you very much for joining us. I would like to thank our guests King Claude von Riegan of Almyra and Queen Petra Macneary of Brigid for joining us. I hope that your guests enjoyed the night as well. I hope that this can become the start to mending the bridge towards peace.”

Byleth cleared her throat. “I hope that in time we can have more gatherings like this outside of the castle and beyond the Kingdom.”

Dimitri nodded. “Yes, that is one of our goals for this era of peace. Thank you for your company. We hope you enjoy the rest of your night.” 

Dimitri and Byleth walked over to stand next to the doors. They said goodbye to their guests who expressed their gratitude for the ball or how much they enjoyed it. Felix was just glad that everything was over. He could get some sleep and relax before he returned home. When the last guest walked out the door Dimitri and Byleth told everyone goodbye then retired to their rooms for the evening. Sylvain and Mercedes did the same, Ashe mentioned spending more time with Dedue, and Ingrid couldn’t wait to get out of her dress.

Felix and Annette walked back to their room hand in hand. It was too late, they were too tired to care about their friends watching them. 

“Man, I didn’t know balls were so long, my feet are killing me.” Annette said.

“It’s one of the reasons I don’t like them. They seem to drag on forever, at least we won’t have to go to another one for a while.” Felix said.

Annette nodded as she adjusted her shoes in her hand. “I’m so happy about that, but I had a great time. There was so much good food! We got a chance to catch up with our friends too. I’m so glad I didn’t trip when I was dancing.”

“Yeah you’re much better than when we were in school. You didn’t step on my feet at all this time.”

“Meanie! Once I get my energy back I’m gonna get you!”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Not everything is a challenge!” Annette huffed as she leaned against him.

Felix chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They fell back into an easy conversation on their way back to their room. When they made it to their floor Annette bit her lip and looked up at Felix. “So...I guess this is a good night.”

“Looks like it.”

Annette didn’t walk over to her room. She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. “...I don’t want to go back to my room.”

Felix placed his hand on her cheek and gently tipped her head up. “Don’t go back.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. “Stay with me tonight…”

“I will.” Annette dropped her shoes as she returned the kiss. She wasn’t in any hurry to leave Felix. She wanted to stay with him like they did when they were home. Felix didn’t want to spend the night without her. They slowly pulled apart and took each other’s hands again. Annette reached down for her shoes then walked with Felix to his room. They were too tired to do anything, but sleep. Felix wrapped an arm around Annette’s waist. Annette sighed happily as she snuggled close to Felix’s chest. 

It was a good way to end the night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette goes to visit her parents to discuss her future. Meanwhile Felix starts to repair his relationship with Dimitri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! We're almost at the end can you believe it? I've really had a lot of fun writing for this mini bang I'd love to write some more soon!
> 
> Enjoy! Thanks for the support!

The days following the ball blurred together into a peaceful routine. Felix and Annette joined their friends for breakfast before they separated for the day. Felix started to attend more meetings that discussed the current state of the Kingdom and other areas of Fodlan. When he wasn’t in meetings he was using the training room. The training room at Dimitri’s castle was much bigger than the one back at home, so he spent many hours training with anyone who came by. Annette would look up different spells that she could use. When she wasn’t studying her magic she was visiting the nearby town with Mercedes and Ashe. They always found something new when they went into town. It could be a new item or a new place to eat, they found something new to do. It was a pleasant routine, one that Annetten and Felix easily fell into.

Each day inched closer and closer to day when everyone would return home. Sylvain and Mercedes would return to the Gautier territory to start work based around the plans from everyone else. Ashe decided that he wouldn’t take the knighthood. Instead he wanted to cook and learn more about the dishes in the kingdom and Duscur dishes. Ingrid was going to continue her work as Dimitri’s knight. She would reassure her father that things were going well. Felix would return to Fraldarius territory where he would continue his work as Duke. Annette had an idea about what she wanted to do, though she wanted to visit her parents first before she made any decisions. 

On the sixth day Annette visited her parents. She reassured everyone that she would only be gone for two days, which would give her enough time to come back for their last days at the castle. Felix saw her off, he tried to ignore the way his stomach twisted when he watched the carriage disappear. He wanted to ask her if she would come back with him to Fraldarius territory. After the time they’ve spent together it felt like the perfect time to come forward with his feelings. However, he wouldn’t stop her if she wanted to stay in the kingdom. He hated how feelings complicated everything. 

Felix continued with the routine, though he noticed how quiet it was without Annette’s singing. After his training he wandered around, until he ended up in one of the guests rooms. He opened the door leading out to the balcony and leaned on the ledge. Felix thought about what he would do when he returned home when he heard his name.

“Don’t you have work to do, your highness?” 

“Well, I’m finished for the day. I was going back to my room to change into something more comfortable when I noticed this door was open. I haven’t been in here since we were children. We always slept here because it was easier to see the snow. Do you remember, Felix?”

“I do, I’m surprised that you remember.”

“There are many things that I haven’t forgotten. Is it alright if I join you?”

“Do what you want.”

Dimitri walked over and stood next to him. “It was always a lovely view here.”

“I guess, if you like seeing more mountains.”

“Your words lack it’s usual bite. Is everything okay?”

Felix sighed. “I must be obvious if _you_ can see it. I’m trying to decide about my next move.”

“Are you wondering about Annette?”

“Did you talk to Sylvain?”

Dimitri gave a sheepish smile. “Well, I wanted to know how you were doing.”

Felix groaned. “I’m going to get him and his big mouth.”

“Felix, I’m sure that whatever decision Annette comes to, you’ll be able to figure out the next step together. That’s what I did with Byleth. There are times that she’s going to be gone for months. During that time I know I can write letters and send gifts, until she returns home again. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a compromise in your relationship too.”

“...I guess you’re not a beast all the time. I’ll have to thank Byleth for that,” Felix looked at him out the corner of his eye. “...I appreciate the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Dimitri smiled. “You’re welcome! So, would you like to join us for tea?”

“I can’t say no if his highness asks.”

“I’m asking as Dimitri, Felix.”

“Fine, I don’t see any objections so I’ll go with you.” Felix said. He pushed away from the ledge then made his way out the room. Dimitri closed the doors before he followed him. Felix didn’t know if he would ever see Dimitri from his childhood again, but he liked the new person he was becoming.

Who knows they could possibly be friends again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette sits with her parents and finds the courage to discuss her future with Felix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Well, one more chapter then we're done. I am thinking of writing little fics in the series. But we'll see! Thanks for the support everyone!
> 
> Enjoy!

On the way to her family’s house Annette had her speech all planned out. She would let her parents know that she was going to ask Felix if she could go back home with him. She didn’t want to be separated again any longer. She knew she could be a big help in restoring the territory too. However, her speech disappeared the minute her mother hugged her. Annette could tell them a little later.

“How has everything been?” Annette asked.

“Oh, it’s been fine. I’ve made a lot of great friends since we moved back. Oh, I joined a sewing circle too. I’ve been getting back into sewing clothes again now that I have the time. Have you been able to see your father? He’s working back at the castle.” Marian said.

“We’ve been able to have lunch when he’s not busy.”

“That’s good, he’s going to be home soon. It’s one of his days that he can make it home in time for dinner. I have to show you the beautiful changes to our home.” Marian gently placed her hand on Annette’s elbow, she eased her over to the new window that was put in when she returned. Annette walked with her around their home. While it wasn’t as big as some of the other homes in the capital, Annette always thought it was a good size. They were able to have four bedrooms and a large garden, after all. However, while she enjoyed the tour of their repaired home Annette didn’t feel her excitement of returning home again. She was still happy that their family home was still around when she wanted to visit. 

After their tour Marian and Annette took a seat in the living room. Annette caught her up on what she had been doing since the last time she saw her. She may have gotten excited when she talked about her time at the Fraldarius territory. She had a lot of fun when she was there, something that showed on her face when she mentioned Felix. 

Marian smiled. “It sounds like Felix is someone very special. Isn’t he the new duke over the territory? I feel as if I heard it when you all came to the castle.”

“He is! Oh, well since we’re on the subject, mother there’s something I have to tell you. I…” Annette started when the door opened.

“Hello, I’m home.” Gilbert said.

“One second Annette. Hello dear, welcome home,” Marian got up and walked over to him. She pressed a kiss on his cheek and took his hand. “You’re just in time Annette was going to tell me something about Felix,” She led him over to the couch across from Annette. “Go on dear.”

Annette’s nerves returned now that she had her parents’ attention. Still, she wouldn’t run away from what she needed to say. “Mother, father, it’s been great spending time with you. I’ve had a lot of fun in the capital city, coming back to our home has been great too. But I realized when I was traveling with Ingrid how much I enjoy helping people. I came to another decision when I visited the Fraldarius territory. I really like Felix and I’m going back with him. I’ll write to you guys and visit when I can! I wanted to let you know since it’s almost time for everyone to go back home.”

Marian and Gilbert turned to each other before they smiled at Annette. “Honey, we weren’t going to tell you what to do. Only you can figure out what’s best for you. It sounds like Felix is very important to you. If going back to his territory with him will make you happy then go ahead. Be safe, write to us, and come join us for dinner. Invite Felix too, I’d like to meet him.”

Gilbert nodded. “As long as you’re happy then that’s what counts. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to spend more time together at the castle. It’s been pretty busy with the new knights coming in along with settling the king with his duties. However, I’m finished with my work for the day. How about we go out for dinner tonight?” 

Annette got up and walked over to hug her parents. “That sounds great, father.”

Everything worked out better than she imagined!

She knew that there were more things that they needed to work on, but it looked like it was going on the right path.

Now it was time for her to start her own path. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annette and Felix talks about their future and prepare for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone we're at the last chapter. This has been quite the journey, I'm glad that I did it. I had a lot of fun writing it. It was my first Annette/Felix and they're so cute as a couple! I hope to write some more soon. Check out everyone's work in the minibang there are so much amazing work there! Everyone did such a great job!
> 
> Thanks for the support everyone!
> 
> Enjoy!

During the last days of their stay in the kingdom Felix continued to talk to Dimitri. Well, it felt more like Dimitri came to talk to him, he wasn’t going to question it. Whenever Dimitri found him the others would follow, until they were all hanging out with each other. Felix closed his eyes and tried to burn these images to his mind. He didn’t know how long it would be before they were together like this again that he wanted to keep these memories close to him. Of course, he would never say it out loud. He’s sure he made his point when he didn’t leave the room when everyone gathered together. It reminded him of the times he would walk into Sylvain’s room in the castle to play. He was the first one to always fall asleep when they finished, but he always woke up to Dimitri, Sylvain, and Ingrid close by. He wasn’t the first to fall asleep anymore. Now when he woke up he would see Dimitri, Sylvain, Ingrid, Ashe, Dedue, Mercedes, and Annette. Maybe Seteth had a point about letting people in.

On the eighth day Annette returned to join them for the last two days. She looked for Felix the minute she walked inside the castle. For once he wasn’t in the training room! She walked around the castle nearly bumping into Mercedes in the process. 

“Mercie! I’m sorry!” Annette exclaimed.

Mercedes smiled. “It’s alright Annie. Where are you going? I haven’t seen you this energetic in awhile.”

“Oh! I’m looking for Felix. Have you seen him? No, he’s not in the training room either!”

“Hmm he must have finished his training for the day. Oh I know, why don’t you check the garden that’s by the dining room. I know he’s been going there lately after lunch and his training.” 

“Thank you!” 

Annette flashed her a smile then quickly made a beeline to the garden by the dining room. She really hoped Felix hadn’t left yet. She opened the doors that led to the garden and looked around. She slowed down so she wouldn’t miss a spot. She stopped when she saw him on the bench in front of one of the rose gardens. “Hey Felix!”

Felix looked up, his eyes softened when he saw her. “Hello Annette, how was your visit?”

“It was really good. We caught up then had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. It managed to stay up despite the war isn’t that great!” Annette clapped her hands happily. She walked over and took a seat next to Felix. “I, um, told my parents my plans too.”

“...What plans have you decided on?”

“Felix...I want to go back to Fraldarius territory with you. I don’t think I could take it if we were separated again! My parents will be fine and we can visit them when we have time. I know that if I don’t go back home with you I’ll spend all my time asking Dimitri how you’re doing. Or I’ll visit then I won’t want to leave. I...I love you Felix. I can’t call it anything else because in my heart I know it’s true. Can I go back with you Felix?” 

Felix wrapped his arms around Annette and pulled her close. “...Yes...yes you can. I-I love you too Annette. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” He leaned back and placed his hand on her cheek. “Come back with me.”

Annette wrapped her arms around his neck as a happy giggle left her mouth. Felix pressed his nose in her hair with a pleased hum. While he would have more challenges to face him when he returned home, he wouldn’t be alone. He would be with the woman he loved. They would be able to face those challenges together. They leaned back just enough for a kiss, Annette slid her fingers through Felix’s hair as Felix rubbed her back. 

The future didn’t feel so uncertain anymore.

Felix and Annette announced their decision to go back to Fraldarius territory together over dinner. Not even Sylvain’s knowing smile could ruin Felix’s mood. Dimitri congratulated them, he would give Annette any reports about her father. Mercedes and Ingrid wished them the best along with Ashe and Dedue. 

Sylvain tapped his fork against his glass. He stood up and held out his glass to everyone. “I think this is the perfect time to toast to the future. May we be able to have dinner like this again one day. Cheers everyone!”

“Cheers!” Everyone shouted with their glass held up high in the air. The future would hold new challenges, new triumphs, and new problems to sort through. However, through it all their bond wouldn’t be broken. They finished dinner and talked well into the night.

*~*~*

On the last day Felix, Annette, Mercedes, and Sylvain got ready to go. They had spent a lot of time away from their territories, it was time for them to go back home to solve the issues with the knowledge they learned while in the Kingdom. Everyone did their best to keep up their mood during breakfast. It wasn’t long before Dimitri received notice that the carriages were ready. They knew they couldn’t stall with their breakfast any longer.

They walked outside to check their luggage. When everything looked to be in place Felix, Annette, Mercedes, and Sylvain stood outside their respective carriages.

“Have a safe trip. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.” Dimitri said.

Byleth smiled. “I can’t wait to read your letters. I’ll be sure to send some too.”

“I can’t believe it’s time for us to say goodbye again! I’ll never forget this time. I can’t wait to do it again some day.” Ingrid said.

Ashe nodded. “It’s going to be great. I hope you’ll be able to try more of my food one day!”

“It may be goodbye, but I know we’ll see each other again. Be safe.” Dedue said.

“We have a lot of fun didn’t we? I’ll definitely be sure to write. Don’t miss me too much.” Sylvain softened as he reached up to wipe his eyes. “Take care guys.”

“We will definitely miss you all. I know we’ll see each other once again. I can’t wait to read everyone’s letters.” Mercedes said.

“Don’t do anything foolish while we’re apart.” Felix tucked a loose strand behind his ear. “...If you ever need to know something let me know. We’ll be here to help.”

“Bye guys! I’m so sad that we have to leave. It feels like it happened so soon! I can’t wait to see everyone again! Take care!” Annette said.

Everyone exchanged their last hugs and claps on the shoulder before they entered their carriages. They waved at Byleth, Dimitri, Ashe, Dedue, and Ingrid, until they were too far to be seen anymore. 

Felix sat back, he watched the familiar sights of the Kingdom pass him by. Annette leaned against his shoulder and took his hand. “Are you ready?”

Felix nodded as he linked their fingers together. “I am.” He turned away from the window and leaned down to press a sweet kiss against Annette’s lips. Annette returned the kiss with a soft hum. 

This time Felix and Annette weren’t doubting their choices. 

This time they were going home together.

The future didn’t look so scary anymore.


End file.
